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BV  1583  . T7  9  1923 
Trout,  Ethel  Wendell,  1878- 
1935  . 

Stories  of  the  beginnings 

- — - - i - ] - 7 - i — ■ 


Digitized  by  the  Internet  Archive 
in  2019  with  funding  from 
Princeton  Theological  Seminary  Library 


https://archive.org/details/storiesofbeginniOOtrou_O 


Stories  of  the  Be 


Junior  Department,  Second  Year 

By 

ETHEL  WENDELL  ^ROUT 


The  Westminster  Textbooks  of  Religious  Education 
For  Church  Schools  Having  Sunday,  Week 
Day,  and  Expressional  Sessions 

Edited  by  JOHN  T.  FARIS,  D.D. 


Philadelphia 
The  Westminster  Press 

1925 


Copyright,  1923, 
by 

F.  M.  BRASELMAN 


Preface 


The  Westminster  Textbooks  of  Religious  Education  are 
planned  to  meet  the  needs  of  churches  seeking  to  unify  their 
educational  program.  The  informational,  devotional,  and 
expressional  phases  of  religious  education  have  been,  hereto¬ 
fore,  to  a  large  extent,  independent  of  one  another.  This 
lack  of  correlation  has  been  detrimental  to  educational  effi¬ 
ciency.  Time  and  effort  have  been  lost  through  duplication. 
Valuable  information  has  failed  to  register  itself  in  conduct 
because  of  the  lack  of  suitable  opportunities  for  expression. 
Many  of  our  churches  have  been  feeling  their  way  toward 
better  educational  standards.  It  is  in  response  to  the  re¬ 
quests  and  needs  of  these  churches  that  the  series  of  lessons 
has  been  undertaken. 

These  textbooks  are  planned  for  church  schools  having 
a  Week  Day  Session,  a  Sunday  Session,  and  an  Expressional 
Session  meeting  either  on  Sunday  or  on  a  week  day.  An 
absolute  differentiation  of  the  three  phases  of  the  educative 
process  is  neither  possible  nor  desirable.  The  lessons  are 
so  arranged,  however,  that  the  Week  Day  Session  is  mainly 
informational,  the  Sunday  Session  more  largely  devotional, 
and  the  third  session  of  the  week  largely  expressional. 

Since  the  course  is  a  unity,  it  is  not  necessarily  confined  to 
the  plan  suggested.  It  would  be  equally  suited  to  a  week¬ 
day  church-school  system  having  three  sessions  a  week  and 
unrelated  to  the  Sunday-school  program  of  the  community. 
The  course  could  be  adjusted  to  any  local  condition,  pro¬ 
vided  the  sequence  of  the  lessons  were  maintained. 

Forty-two  lessons  of  three  sections  each  are  provided  for 
each  grade,  or  year.  It  is  thought  that  this  will  furnish  ma¬ 
terial  for  a  church-school  program  with  three  sessions  per 
week  throughout  the  public-school  year.  It  is  also  believed 
that  many  schools  will  find  the  material  sufficient  for  the  use 
of  the  Sunday  Session  during  that  part  of  the  year  when 
Week  Day  Sessions  are  discontinued.  Much  of  this  sum- 


111 


IV 


PREFACE 


mer  season  might  be  spent  in  a  rapid  review  of  the  work 
covered  during  the  other  part  of  the  year.  No  exact  adjust¬ 
ment  to  any  particular  circumstances  is  attempted  because 
of  the  fact  that  church  schools  differ  widely  in  the  matter 
of  their  summer  sessions.  Some  are  practically  closed  all 
summer ;  some  continue  on  as  extensive  a  basis  as  during 
other  parts  of  the  year.  The  whole  matter  of  adjustment  is 
best  left  to  the  local  church-school  administration.  If  a 
church  school  practically  closes  at  the  beginning  of  summer, 
it  would  be  well  for  the  authorities  of  that  school  to  plan  for 
a  completion  of  each  year’s  course  at  that  time.  If  the 
school  runs  on  through  the  summer  with  undiminished  at¬ 
tendance,  more  time  may  be  taken  for  the  lessons,  a  part 
of  each  book  being  left  for  completion  in  the  summer  ses¬ 
sions.  Where  this  is  done,  the  section  intended  for  the 
week-day  lesson  may  be  taken  on  one  Sunday  of  the  summer 
period,  the  Sunday  lesson  related  to  this  week-day  lesson 
for  next  Sunday,  and  the  expressional  lesson  on  a  third 
Sunday. 


TABLE  OF  CONTENTS 


PAGE 

Preface  .  hi 

Suggestions  to  the  Teacher .  vii 

God  Caring  for  His  PeoplF  in  the  Beginning 

of  the  World 

Chapter  I.  “  In  the  Beginning ■” .  3 

The  Creation  of  Life .  7 

Thanking  God  for  His  Good¬ 
ness  .  11 

Chapter  II.  The  Garden  of  Eden .  14 

Adam  and  Eve  in  the  Garden.  17 
How  God  Wants  Us  to  Live.  20 

Chapter  III.  The  Story  of  the  Temptation.  23 

Hiding  from  God .  28 

Pleasing  and  Displeasing  God.  32 

Chapter  IV.  Cain  and  Abel .  34 

The  Sin  at  the  Door .  36 

Our  Responsibility  for  Others.  39 

Chapter  V.  The  Family  of  Adam  and  Eve.  42 

The  Building  of  the  Ark.  ...  46 

Doing  Right  in  Spite  of  Ridi¬ 
cule  .  51 

Chapter  VI.  The  Story  of  the  Flood .  54 

The  Rainbow  Covenant .  57 

Following  a  Good  Example.  .  59 

Stories  of  Three  Patriarchs 

Chapter  VII.  The  Early  History  of  Abra¬ 
ham  .  65 

The  Call  of  Abraham .  68 

Plow  God  Kept  the  Promise.  72 

v 


VI 


TABLE  OF  CONTENTS 


pagh 

Chapter 

VIII. 

The  Land  of  Promise . 

75 

Giving  Lot  First  Choice . 

79 

Settling  a  Ouarrel . 

83 

Chapter 

IX. 

The  Battle  of  Four  Kings 

Against  Five  . 

86 

Abraham’s  Rescue  of  Lot.  .  .  . 

89 

Being  Fair  to  Others . 

95 

Chapter 

X. 

Hospitality  in  Bible  Lands.  .  . 

98 

Abraham  Entertaining  Angels 
Flow  Juniors  Can  Be  Hos- 

101 

pitable  . 

106 

Chapter 

XI. 

The  Doom  of  Sodom  and 

Gomorrah . 

109 

The  Birth  of  Isaac . 

Praying  for  Ourselves  and 

113 

for  Others  . 

115 

Chapter 

XII. 

Abraham  Willing  to  Offer 

Isaac  . 

118 

God’s  Promise  to  Abraham .  . 

121 

God’s  Promises  to  Us . 

123 

Chapter 

XIII. 

Rebekah  at  the  Well . 

126 

The  Storv  of  Rebekah . 

131 

How  Juniors  May  Be  Kind.  . 

133 

Chapter 

XIV. 

The  Story  of  Jacob  and  Esau. 

136 

Jacob  Receives  the  Birthright. 

140 

Our  Birthrights  . 

143 

Chapter 

XV. 

The  First  Result  of  Jacob’s 

Sin  . 

Jacob’s  Vision  of  a  Ladder  to 

149 

Heaven . 

152 

Our  Way  to  Heaven . 

156 

Chapter 

XVI. 

Jacob  in  Haran . 

The  Meeting  of  Jacob  and 

159 

Esau  . 

How  Juniors  May  Settle 

162 

Quarrels  . 

165 

TABLE  OF  CONTENTS 

vii 

Stories  of  Joseph 

PAGE 

Chapter 

XVII. 

The  Land  of  the  Pharaohs.  .  . 

171 

Joseph  Sold  Into  Egypt . 

174 

Doing  a  Hard  Task . 

178 

Chapter 

XVIII. 

The  Journey  to  Egypt . 

181 

Joseph  and  the  Butler  and  the 

Baker  . 

184 

Faithfulness  in  Everyday 

Thing's  . 

187 

Chapter 

XIX. 

From  Prison  to  Palace . 

189 

Joseph  the  Ruler  of  Egypt.  .  . 

192 

Making  Ready  for  Opportu- 

nitv  . 

197 

Chapter 

XX. 

Joseph's  Brothers  Visit  Egypt 

199 

Joseph  Forgives  His  Brothers 

203 

Returning  Good  for  Evil . 

207 

Chapter 

XXI. 

The  Family  of  Israel  Moves 

Into  Egypt . 

210 

The  Children  of  Israel  in 

* 

Egypt  . 

213 

Ways  in  Which  Juniors  Mav 

Imitate  Joseph . 

216 

Chapter 

XXII. 

The  Children  of  Israel  in 

Egypt  . 

219 

The  Early  Life  of  Moses.  .  .  . 

222 

Some  Bible  Juniors  Whom 

God  Used  as  His  Helpers.  . 

226 

Chapter 

XXIII. 

Moses  Fleeing  from  Egypt.  .  . 

229 

The  Burning  Bush  at  Horeb.  . 

231 

God  Calling  Juniors  To-Day.  • 

234 

Chapter 

XXIV. 

Moses  Obevs  God’s  Call  to 

Service  . 

238 

Moses  and  Aaron  Before 

Pharaoh  . 

240 

Courage  to  Do  God’s  Will..  .  . 

244 

Chapter 

XXV. 

The  Final  Punishment  of  the 

Egyptians . . . 

247 

The  Passover . 

250 

Our  Passover  . 

252 

vin 


TABLE  OF  CONTENTS 


PAGE 


Chapter  XXVI.  Starting  for  the  Promised 

Land  .  255 

The  Crossing  of  the  Red  Sea.  260 
God  Guiding  Our  Nation.  .  .  .  263 

Chapter  XXVII.  The  Wilderness  of  Sinai . 267 

Manna  in  the  Wilderness.  .  .  .  271 

God’s  Gifts  of  Food  to  Our 
Nation  .  274 

Chapter  XXVIII.  How  God  Provided  Water  for 

the  Israelites  in  the  Wilder¬ 
ness  .  277 

The  Giving  of  the  Law .  280 

The  Two  Great  Command¬ 
ments  .  283 


Stories  of  Moses  and  His  Times 
Chapter  XXIX.  The  Tabernacle  in  the  Wilder¬ 


ness  .  289 

The  Furnishings  of  the  Taber¬ 
nacle  .  292 

Gift’s  for  God’s  Use .  296 

Chapter  XXX.  The  Report  of  the  Spies .  299 

The  Punishment  of  the  Israel¬ 
ites  .  302 

Trusting  in  God’s  Promises.  .  305 

Chapter  XXXI.  Troubles  in  the  Wilderness...  308 

How  God  Honored  Moses.  .  .  310 

Learning  the  Lesson  of  Trust.  313 


Stories  oe  the  Conquest  of  Canaan 

Chapter  XXXII.  The  Places  of  the  Lesson.  ...  319 

Joshua  Appointed  Leader  of 


Israel  .  322 

Strong  in  the  Lord .  325 

Chapter  XXXIII.  Rahab  and  the  Spies . . .  329 

The  Israelites  Crossing  the 

Jordan  .  332 

How  Our  Nation  Shows  Its 
Trust  in  God .  335 


TABLE. OF  CONTENTS  ix 

page: 

Chapter  XXXIV.  In  the  Promised  Land .  339 

The  Siege  of  Jericho .  342 

God  Given  Victory .  347 

Chapter  XXXV.  Defeat  and  Victory  at  Ai.  .  .  .  350 

The  Punishment  of  the  Gib- 

eonites  .  355 

The  Foolishness  of  Deceit..  .  .  357 

Chapter  XXXVI.  Joshua’s  Battle  Against  Five 

Kings  .  360 

Joshua’s  Last  Address .  364 

Choosing  to  Serve  the  Lord.  .  368 

Stories  oe  the  Judges 

Chapter  XXXVII.  When  There  Was  No  King  in 

Israel  .  373 

Deborah  and  Barak  Defeat 

Sisera  .  376 

Leadership  for  the  Right.  .  .  .  380 

Chapter  XXXVIII.  The  Call  of  Gideon .  383 

Gideon’s  Answer  to  the  Call.  .  387 
Taking  Responsibility  .  388 

Chapter  XXXIX.  Gideon’s  Victory .  393 

The  Bramble  Bush  King .  396 

The  Qualities  of  a  True 
Leader  .  400 

Chapter  XL.  A  Strong  Man  with  a  Weak 

Will  .  403 

A  Leader  Who  Failed .  406 

A  Second  Chance .  409 

Chapter  XLI.  The  Story  of  Ruth’s  Choice.  .  413 

The  Results  of  Ruth’s  Choice.  417 
Showing  Respect  to  Our 
Elders  .  420 

Chapter  XLII.  The  Vow  of  Hannah .  422 

The  Boy  Samuel .  425 

Following  Samuel’s  Example.  429 


% 


SUGGESTIONS  TO  THE  TEACHER 


In  preparing  to  teach  the  lessons  in  this  book,  the  teacher 
should,  in  the  first  place,  read  the  selections  from  the  Bible 
given  at  the  beginning  of  each  lesson.  You  should  then  read 
through  the  lesson,  noting  points  which  will  be  of  interest  to 
your  particular  class,  and  hunting  up  all  information  pos¬ 
sible  in  your  available  reference  books.  Naturally  the  limits 
of  space  make  it  impossible  to  give  everything  that  is  given 
in  larger  books,  which  perhaps  devote  an  entire  volume  to  a 
subject  here  treated  in  only  a  few  words. 

With  each  lesson  you  should  try  to  find  a  point  of  con¬ 
tact  for  your  own  class.  The  lessons  are  prepared  with  the 
thought  of  children  nine,  ten,  and  eleven  years  old,  in  mind, 
but  if  your  class  consists  of  nine-year-olds,  or  eleven-year- 
olds  only,  you  will  of  course  need  slightly  different  treat¬ 
ment.  Stories  are  suggested  which  the  teacher  may  find  of 
use  in  teaching  the  lesson.  Oftentimes  a  modern  missionary 
story  will  bring  the  lesson  home  to  the  class. 

The  Week  Day  Session  of  the  school  is  to  be  largely  de¬ 
voted  to  informational  material.  The  Junior  is  at  an  age 
when  his  memory  is  keenly  alert,  and  facts  mastered  now 
will  become  lifelong  possessions.  So,  during  this  period,  the 
geography  and  history  of  the  Holy  Land  are  given  in  brief 
form.  Handwork,  too,  is  useful  for  this  session.  Map¬ 
drawing  is  suggested ;  a  map  of  plasticine  may  be  completed 
during  the  sessions.  A  large  blackboard  map  of  Palestine 
may  be  started,  and  filled  in  as  the  lessons  progress.  It  will 
be  well  to  have,  also,  a  large  wall  map  of  Palestine  to  use  in 
connection  with  the  lessons. 

As  the  Week  Day  Session  of  the  school  is  intended  to 
appeal  to  the  intellect,  the  Sunday  Session  is  intended  to  ap¬ 
peal  to  the  heart.  The  week-day  lesson  is  a  background  of 
fact,  on  which  the  Sunday  lesson  is  to  be  built.  The  Ex- 
pressional  Session  is  intended  to  give  the  pupils  themselves 
an  opportunity  to  put  into  words  what  they  have  gotten  out 


XI 


SUGGESTIONS  TO  THE  TEACHER 


•  • 
xn 

of  the  other  two  sessions  of  the  school.  In  the  Junior  De¬ 
partment  this  session  must,  of  course,  be  under  the  guidance 
of  an  older  person,  but  the  pupils  should  be  encouraged  to 
express  themselves  and  what  they  feel,  in  their  own  words. 
Various  topics  are  given  which  may  be  assigned  beforehand 
to  the  pupils — perhaps  at  the  previous  Week  Day  Session — ■ 
so  that  the  children  may  have  an  opportunity  to  think  about 
them  and  to  say  a  few  words  on  the  subject,  or,  in  excep¬ 
tional  cases  or  with  older  pupils,  to  write  a  report  or  “  com¬ 
position,”  as  they  do  in  day  school.  Verses  are  also  sug¬ 
gested  in  connection  with  this  session  which  may  be  assigned 
in  advance  to  individual  pupils,  who  may  either  learn  them, 
or  copy  them  and  read  them  when  called  upon.  This  method 
may  be  found  available  for  use  in  classes  of  younger  pupils. 
Hymns  correlating  with  the  lesson  and  various  questions  are 
also  given  which  the  teacher  will  use  as  seems  wise  in  the 
individual  class. 

Notebook  Work  is  suggested,  and  can  be  carried  out  at 
any  of  three  meetings  of  the  class.  In  connection  with  the 
Notebook  Work  you  will  find  useful  the  small  Biblical  pic¬ 
tures  which  you  can  obtain  from  the  Wilde  Picture  Com¬ 
pany,  or  the  depositories  of  the  Board  of  Christian  Educa¬ 
tion  of  the  Presbyterian  Church,  at  one  cent  apiece. 

Reference  Books  Which  Wile  Prove  Useful 

Kent — “  Biblical  Geography  and  History.” 

Davis — “  A  Dictionary  of  the  Bible.” 

Grant — “  The  Orient  in  Bible  Times.” 

Schofield — “  Where  He  Dwelt.” 


SPECIAL  SUGGESTIONS  IN  CONNECTION  WITH 

EACH  CHAPTER 

Chapter  I 

Week  Day  Session.  The  Teacher’s  Aim:  To  give  to 
the  pupils  the  knowledge  of  what  God  created  on  the  first 
four  days. 

There  are  very  many  accounts  of  the  Creation  given 
in  the  various  stories  of  the  early  races  of  mankind.  Part 
of  the  Babylonian  story  is  given  in  the  pupil’s  book, 
page  10.  The  Chinese  story  is  as  follows :  Pwan-ku,  the 
first-born  of  creation,  found  himself  upon  a  rock  with  a 
tortoise  and  a  phoenix,  a  dragon-like  creature  with  a  hu¬ 
man  face  and  the  claws  of  a  bird.  There  were  rocks 
floating  in  the  space  round  about,  and  Pwan-ku  split 
these  into  pieces.  He  worked  for  eighteen  thousand 
years,  and  made  the  earth,  the  heavens,  the  stars,  and 
the  moon. 

“  Each  day  he  increased  six  feet  in  stature,  and  when 
he  died  his  head  became  mountains,  his  breath,  wind  and 
clouds,  and  his  voice,  thunder ;  his  limbs  were  changed 
into  the  four  poles,  his  veins,  into  rivers,  his  sinews,  into 
the  undulations  of  the  earth’s  surface,  and  his  flesh,  into 
fields ;  his  beard  was  turned  into  stars,  his  skin  and  his 
hair,  into  herbs  and  trees,  and  his  teeth,  bones,  and  mar¬ 
row,  into  metals,  rocks,  and  precious  stones ;  his  drop¬ 
ping  sweat  increased  to  rain.” 

You  can  see  at  once  how  childish  this  story  is  in  com¬ 
parison  with  the  Bible  story,  or  even  with  the  Babylonian 
story. 

Have  the  pupils  do  the  Notebook  Work  assigned.  You 
may  wish  to  have  a  large  drawing  put  upon  the  b lack- 
board  for  them  to  copy.  In  doing  this,  use  chalk  of  dif¬ 
ferent  colors — green  or  blue  to  indicate  the  sea,  blue  for 
the  sky,  yellow  for  the  sun,  moon,  and  stars,  brown  for 
the  land,  green  for  the  vegetation,  and  so  on.  Leave  the 


Xlll 


XIV 


TO  THE  TEACHER 


drawings  on  the  board,  so  that  later  you  may  add  the 
circles  representing  the  fifth  and  sixth  days. 

During  this  series  of  lessons  much  of  the  Memory 
Work  consists  of  famous  hymns  of  the  Church.  If  pos¬ 
sible,  give  to  your  pupils  facts  about  the  history  of  these 
hymns  which  will  add  to  their  interest. 

In  preparation  for  the  Sunday  Session,  take  your  pupils 
to  visit  an  academy  of  natural  sciences,  or  museum,  if 
there  is  such  a  place  in  the^  vicinity  in  which  you  live. 
Show  them  the  skeletons  of  the  huge  animals  which  ex¬ 
isted  in  the  early  days  of  the  earth,  such  as  the  mastodon 
and  the  pterodactyl.  At  least  prepare  to  show  them  pic¬ 
tures  of  these  or  other  creatures. 

Books  Which  Tell  of  the  First  Days  of  the 

World's  History 

Barton,  “  Archaeology  and  the  Bible.” 

Clay,  “  Light  on  the  Old  Testament  from  Babel.” 

Some  Pictures  to  Use  with  the  Lesson 

Michelangelo,  Creation  of  the  World. 

Michelangelo,  Creation  of  Light,  of  Sun  and  Moon. 

Sunday  Session.  The  Teacher’s  Aim:  To  impress 
upon  the  pupils  how  grateful  we  should  lie  that  God 
created  man  in  his  own  image,  and  made  us  like  himself. 

Begin  the  lesson  by  rapidly  reviewing  the  work  of  God 
on  the  first  four  days  of  Creation.  Then  ask  what  God 
created  on  the  fifth  day.  Make  as  vivid  as  possible  the 
account  of  the  creation  of  the  creatures  of  the  sea — first 
the  smaller  fish,  and  then,  later,  the  great  monsters  of 
the  deep.  Read  Job  12:7-10.  Ask  the  pupils  to  find  the 
names  of  some  of  the  fish  in  the  Bible,  as  the  “  leviathan,” 
Job  3:8;  Psalm  104:26  (explain  that  the  leviathan  was 
jone  of  the  monsters  of  the  sea)  ;  Jonah’s  fish,  which  is 
called  in  Matthew  12:40  a  “whale”;  usually,  however, 
the  term  used  is  simply  “  fish.” 

Then  tell  of  the  birds  that  were  created.  Have  some 
references  to  some  of  these  found,  and  write  the  names 
on  the  board  :  Eagle,  Deuteronomy  32  :11 ;  Proverbs  23  :5  ; 
eagle  and  raven,  Proverbs  30:17;  I  Kings  17:6;  quails, 


TO  THE  TEACHER 


xv 


Exodus  16:13;  Numbers  11:31,  32;  stork,  turtledove, 
swallow,  and  crane,  Jeremiah  8:7. 

At  last  the  sixth  day  came.  There  were  birds  and  fish 
now,  but  no  animals.  These  were  created  first  on  the 
sixth  day.  Have  references  to  some  Bible  animals  found, 
and  show  pictures  if  these  are  available.  Perhaps  you 
have  a  “  Child's  Book  of  Knowledge,"  for  instance,  which 
gives  interesting  plates  of  early  animals.  Finally  ask 
what  was  God’s  last  creation.  What  did  he  make  last? 
Bring  out  the  fact  that  man  was  made  last,  created  in 
God’s  own  image,  and  so  the  master  of  all  things  and  all 
living  creatures.  Make  the  children  realize  how  thank¬ 
ful  they  should  be  to  God  for  creating  us  in  his  own  like¬ 
ness,  and  giving  to  us  the  beautiful  world  with  all  its 
wonderful  gifts,  as  our  dwelling  place. 

Expressional  Session.  The  Teacher's  Aim:  To  lead 
the  pupils  to  express  their  thankfulness  to  God. 

In  the  Expressional  Sessions  provided  for  this  course 
it  is  hoped  that  the  pupils  will  express  in  their  own  words 
the  feelings  aroused  by  the  two  preceding  sessions  of 
the  class.  Certain  suggestions  for  prayers  and  readings 
are  given,  questions  to  be  answered,  and  topics  for  dis¬ 
cussion  are  provided.  Some  of  these  are  planned  with 
the  thought  of  the  younger  pupils  in  mind  ;  others  are 
planned  for  older  pupils.  It  may  be  wise  to  ask  for  vol¬ 
unteers  to  answer  the  questions  and  take  up  the  topics, 
during  the  preceding  session.  Let  the  pupils  themselves 
take  charge  of  the  meeting,  though  you  will  find  that  you 
have  to  guide  them  in  many  ways.  One  of  the  pupils 
should  be  the  leader  in  the  meeting.  The  only  way  in 
which  leadership  qualities  can  be  properly  developed  is 
by  experience,  and  leadership  is  needed  in  all  sorts  of 
work. 

Certain  hymns  are  suggested  with  each  lesson,  but  by 
all  means  let  the  pupils  themselves  suggest  others.  Short 
sentence  prayers  instead  of  the  Class  Prayer  may  be 
asked  for :  in  this  lesson,  for  instance,  expression  for 
thankfulness  for  God's  good  gifts.  Lead  to  the  thought 
that  we  can  best  express  our  thanksgiving  by  trying  to 
live  in  God's  likeness,  and  showing  that  we  are  created 
in  his  image. 


XVI 


TO  THE  TEACHER 


Chapter  II 

Week  Day  Session.  The  Teacher’s  Aim:  To  impress 
upon  the  pupils  the  account  of  the  Garden  of  Eden  given 
in  Genesis  2  :4-17. 

The  second  account  of  the  Creation,  given  in  Genesis, 
chapter  2,  should  be  passed  over  rapidly,  reviewing  the 
story  given  in  Genesis,  chapter  1.  Then  emphasize  the 
account  of  Adam's  activities.  Show  that  his  life  was  not 
all  play.  Though  he  had  a  beautiful  world  in  which  to 
live,  there  was  hard  work  and  study  for  him  to  do.  He 
had  to  “  dress  ”  the  trees  of  the  Garden.  The  animals 
were  brought  to  him  to  name. 

Teach  the  geography  of  the  region  surrounding  the 
Tigris  and  Euphrates  Rivers,  and  show  that  men  who 
have  studied  the  history  of  the  human  race  outside  the 
Bible  think,  also,  that  the  first  home  of  mankind  was  in 
this  part  of  the  world,  so  that  science  and  the  Bible  agree 
here  as  they  always  do  when  science  carries  its  examina¬ 
tions  far  enough. 

Have  the  pupils  put  on  the  board  or  make  on  the  sand 
table  imaginary  plans  of  the  Garden.  The  small  Jap¬ 
anese  gardens  which  can  sometimes  be  obtained  at  the 
ten-cent  stores  will  be  found  adaptable  to  this  purpose. 

A  book  which  may  be  read  in  connection  with  this  les¬ 
son  is  Kermit  Roosevelt’s  “  War  in  the  Garden  of  Eden,” 
and  a  picture  that  will  be  worthy  of  study  is  Michel¬ 
angelo’s  Creation  of  Adam. 

With  younger  pupils  perhaps  you  can  play  a  game  of 
naming  the  animals.  Eet  one  child  be  Adam,  let  the 
lest  choose  what  creatures  they  will  be,  and  try  to  act 
the  part  of  the  bird  or  the  animal  selected.  “  Adam,” 
aided  by  the  birds  and  animals  as  they  are  guessed,  may 
guess  which  creature  is  represented. 

Sunday  Session.  The  Teacher’s  Aim:  To  sIioav  the 
pupils  that  life  in  the  Garden  of  Eden  was  a  model  life 
for  them,  which  they  should  try  to  imitate. 

Begin  the  lesson  by  reviewing  the  account  of  Adam, 
the  only  human  being  in  the  Garden.  Then  tell  of  the 
creation  of  Eve,  reading  the  account  in  the  Bible  words. 
Ask  the  pupils  to  tell  you  how  they  thought  Adam  and 


TO  THE  TEACHER 


XVII 


Eve  passed  their  days.  Show  that  they  were  busy  from 
morning  to  night,  but  care  free.  Emphasize  their  com¬ 
munion  with  God.  Though  the  Bible  does  not  tell  us 
that  God  talked  with  them  in  the  “  cool  ”  of  every  day, 
it  is  judged  so  from  Genesis  3  :8,  and  the  point  that  Adam 
and  Eve  talked  with  him,  hearing  and  obeying  his  direc¬ 
tion,  is  to  be  brought  out. 

Expressional  Session.  The  Teacher’s  Aim:  To  lead 
the  pupils  to  express  a  desire  to  live  as  God  wants  them 
to  live,  trusting  him  absolutely  for  all  good  gifts,  and 
knowing  that  what  he  does  is  best. 

It  would  be  well  to  make  this  a  service  of  song  and 
praise  and  prayer.  Choose  songs  of  thanksgiving,  and 
then  ask  the  pupils  to  speak  to  God  in  a  sentence  prayer. 
One  of  the  ends  sought  in  the  Expressional  Session  is  to 
help  the  pupils  to  develop  a  power  of  expression,  and 
they  should  frequently  be  asked  for  sentence  prayers,  and 
to  select  songs  for  themselves,  in  addition  to  those  sug¬ 
gested  to  them.  Make  this  session  as  truly  expressional 
as  your  pupils  can  manage. 

Chapter  III 

Week  Day  Session.  The  Teacher’s  Aim:  To  give  to 
the  pupils  the  story  of  the  temptation  of  Adam  and  Eve. 

Tell  this  story  as  far  as  possible  in  Bible  words.  If 
the  pupils  speak  of  the  serpent’s  talking  and  of  God’s 
command  that  he  creep  henceforth  as  punishment,  tell 
them  that  old  Hebrew  legends  say  that  before  this  time 
all  the  beasts  talked,  and  that  the  serpent  walked  upright. 

Adam  and  Eve  were  forbidden  to  eat  the  fruit  of  the 
tree  of  the  knowledge  of  good  and  evil.  When  the  ser¬ 
pent  came  to  Eve  with  a  lie,  and  persuaded  her  to  eat, 
disobedience  entered  the  world  and  punishment  followed. 
Do  not  give  to  the  children  an  impression  that  God  was 
unkind,  but  show  that  he  was  just,  and  that  punishment 
by  the  laws  which  God  has  made,  must  follow  sinW 

Sunday  Session.  The  Teacher’s  Aim :  To  show  the 
justice  of  man’s  punishment  for  sin. 

The  people  whom  God  had  made  had  disobeyed.  Con¬ 
sequently  they  were  afraid  when  they  knew  of  God’s 


xviii  TO  THE  TEACHER 

approach.  Show  that  this  is  the  natural  result  of  sin, 
and  that  conscience  makes  cowards  of  us  all.  Have  one 
of  the  pupils  read  the  story  that  goes  with  this  session’s 
work.  Ask  the  pupils  if  they  themselves  remember  a 
time  when  they  were  sorry  to  see  mother  or  father  come 
home,  because  they  had  been  disobedient.  Perhaps  you 
can  lead  them  to  talk  about  the  way  they  have  felt. 

Pictures  to  use  with  this  story  may  be  found  among 
the  Dore  pictures  or  in  the  collection  of  Mastroianni 
pictures. 

Expressional  Session.  The  Teacher’s  Aim:  To  lead 
the  pupils  to  express  a  desire  to  be  obedient  to  God  and 
to  those  whom  he  has  given  to  them  as  instructors  and 
guides. 

Ask  the  pupils  to  tell  you  the  story  of  Adam  and  Eve, 
having  a  brisk  review.  Then  take  up  the  topic,  “  The 
Example  of  Perfect  Obedience. ”  Let  the  pupils  them¬ 
selves  show  differences  between  Adam  and  Eve,  and 
Jesus.  Show  that  their  disobedience  brought  sin  into 
the  world,  and  that  his  obedience  brought  to  man  salva¬ 
tion  from  sin.  Let  the  main  thought  of  the  hour  be  posi¬ 
tive  obedience  and  pleasing  God,  rather  than  dis¬ 
obedience. 

Chapter  IV 

Week  Day  Session.  The  Teacher’s  Aim:  To  give  to 
the  pupils  the  story  of  Cain  and  Abel — the  account  of 
the  first  death  that  came  into  the  world,  as  far  as  the 
Bible  record  shows. 

Begin  the  lesson  by  reviewing  rapidly  the  material  of 
Chapter  III.  Picture  as  vividly  as  possible  the  wander¬ 
ings  of  Adam  and  Eve  through  the  prehistoric  forests 
and  along  the  great  rivers,  seeking  a  home  for  themselves. 
Tell  of  the  birth  of  the  oldest  son,  Cain,  and  speak  of 
Eve’s  rejoicing.  Then  Abel  was  born.  Picture  the  lives 
of  the  two  boys  as  they  grew  up.  What  was  the  differ¬ 
ence  between  them?  Cain  became  a  farmer;  Abel  be¬ 
came  a  shepherd. 

It  is  an  instinct  of  all  peoples  to  make  offerings  to  the 
god  whom  they  worship,  and  in  Cain  and  Abel  this  ap¬ 
pears  in  their  worship  of  the  true  God.  Each  prepared 


TO  THE  TEACHER 


xix 


to  make  an  offering  to  God.  Cain  gave  of  the  fruit  of 
the  ground :  Abel,  “  of  the  firstlings  of  his  flock  and 
of  the  fat  thereof.”  Lead  the  children  to  see  that  it 
was  not  the  difference  in  the  offering  which  pleased  and 
displeased  God.  It  was  the  difference  in  the  attitude  of 
the  two  brothers.  Remind  the  pupils  of  the  story  of  the 
widow’s  mites,  Luke  21  :1-1,  and  show  that  it  is  the  heart 
which  God  looks  on,  rather  than  the  kind  or  the  amount 
of  the  offering. 

Have  the  pupils  tell  simply  the  remainder  of  the  story, 
leaving  the  lesson  of  Cain’s  wickedness  and  disobedience 
clearly  outlined  in  their  minds. 

Sunday  Session.  The  Teacher’s  Aim :  To  impress 
upon  the  pupils  the  necessity  of  choking  back  even  the 
least  tendency  to  evil  thinking  and  wrongdoing.  To 
show  them  how  evil  grows  from  a  very  small  seed. 

In  this  connection  you  might  use  the  familiar  story  of 
the  hole  in  the  dike,  which  the  small  hero  of  Holland 
knew  would  increase  if  he  did  not  close  it,  until  the  entire 
country  was  inundated.  You  may  use  the  story  of  the 
jinn  in  the  bottle,  given  in  the  pupil’s  lesson,  or  the  illus¬ 
tration  from  the  Epistle  of  James,  given  in  the  Memory 
Verse,  or  only  the  comparison  given  in  the  lesson  itself 
of  the  lion  cub  couching  at  the  door,  ready  to  spring. 
Bring  out  clearly  the  lesson  that  one  sin  leads  to  another 
until  the  entire  life  becomes  sinful. 

In  speaking  of  the  punishment  of  Cain  and  the  “  sign  ” 
which  God  gave,  say  that  we  do  not  know  at  all  what 
this  was,  though  there  have  been  many  guesses.  Bat 
Cain  was  punished  by  being  sent  still  farther  out  into 
the  world  than  his  father  and  mother  had  been  sent. 
After  he  had  gone,  God  sent  to  Adam  and  Eve  other  chil¬ 
dren,  of  whom  Seth  was  the  ancestor  of  Noah,  of  whom 
we  study  in  our  next  lesson. 

Expressional  Session.  The  Teacher’s  Aim:  To  impress 
upon  the  children  the  lesson  that  in  some  ways  they  are 
responsible  for  others,  even  though  they  are  only  Juniors. 

In  connection  with  the  questions  and  topics  assigned 
with  the  pupil  s  lesson,  bring  out  especially  the  question 
of  responsibility  for  others  in  government.  Show  that 
we  should  never  be  indifferent  to  things  which  do  not 


XX 


TO  THE  TEACHER 


seem  to  affect  us  personally,  because  they  do  affect 
others.  Bring  out  the  teaching  of  Jesus  as  Paul  gives  it 
to  us,  “  Bear  ye  one  another’s  burdens,  and  so  fulfil  the 
law  of  Christ.” 

Make  a  vivid  picture  of  Paul’s  description  of  the  inter¬ 
dependence  of  the  parts  of  the  body.  Show  how  we  are 
all  dependent  on  one  another.  An  interesting  way  to 
show  this  is  to  ask  the  pupils  to  trace  back  something 
which  they  have  had  to  eat — perhaps  an  orange  which 
they  ate  at  breakfast  time.  Show  how  many  people 
helped  in  bringing  this  to  the  breakfast  table — mother, 
the  grocery  boy,  the  grocer,  the  express  man,  the  packer, 
the  man  who  picked  the  fruit,  the  man  who  planted  the 
tree,  and  so  on.  If  any  of  these  people  had  failed  in  do¬ 
ing  their  duty,  you  would  not  have  had  the  orange  to 
eat.  We  are  all  responsible  for  our  acts,  and  especially 
in  so  far  as  they  affect  others. 

Chapter  V 

Week  Day  Session.  The  Teacher’s  Aim:  To  give  to 
the  pupils  information  about  the  period  between  the  time 
of  Cain  and  Abel,  and  that  of  Noah. 

You  may  find  it  interesting  to  connect  this  lesson  with 
the  old  Greek  legends  where  we  have  given  the  stories  of 
Apollo  and  the  lyre  and  of  Vulcan  the  blacksmith  god. 
Apollo’s  lyre  was,  you  remember,  a  tortoise  shell.  The 
children  have  probably  had  these  stories  in  day  school, 
and  are  familiar  with  them.  Be  sure  to  familiarize  the 
pupils  with  the  important  names  of  this  chapter.  Em¬ 
phasize  the  fact  that  with  few  exceptions,  the  people  of 
the  world  were  becoming  more  and  more  wicked,  so  that 
God  was  grieved  and  displeased. 

If  you  will  put  upon  the  blackboard  the  family  trees 
of  Cain  and  of  Seth,  the  pupils  will  be  interested.  Also 
have  them  try  to  make  pipes  and  harps,  the  earliest  musi¬ 
cal  instruments. 

Sunday  Session.  The  Teacher’s  Aim:  To  show  the 
pupils  that  God’s  punishment  for  sin  is  given  in  love,  and 
that  he  wants  to  reward  and  to  spare  all  those  who  de¬ 
serve  these  blessings. 

In  this  lesson,  which  treats  only  of  the  building  of  the 


TO  THE  TEACHER 


xxi 


ark,  emphasize  the  fact  that  Noah  was  a  righteous  man, 
and  that  he  “  walked  with  God.’’  He  obeyed  God  in 
every  way,  and  did  exactly  as  he  was  commanded  to  do. 
And  so  God  spared  him  and  his  family,  to  establish  a  new 
line  of  men  on  the  face  of  the  earth. 

The  pupils  will  be  interested  in  the  accounts  of  the 
Deluge  given  in  the  literature  of  other  nations.  A  part 
of  the  Babylonian  story  is  given  in  the  pupil’s  lesson. 
The  story  of  Deucalion  is  found  in  the  “Metamorphoses” 
of  Ovid.  An  interesting  account  of  this  is  found  in 
“  Light  on  the  Old  Testament  from  Babel,”  by  Albert  T. 
Clay.  Pictures  to  use  with  the  lesson  are  Raphael’s 
Building  of  the  Ark  and  Michelangelo’s  Deluge. 

Expressional  Session.  The  Teacher’s  Aim:  To  im¬ 
press  upon  the  pupils  their  duty  to  do  right  in  the  face  of 
ridicule;  and  also  the  converse — their  duty  not  to  join 
with  those  who  are  ridiculing  others. 

The  second  idea  is  not  brought  out  in  the  pupil’s  les¬ 
son.  The  teacher  may  introduce  it  as  a  new  thought. 
Perhaps  you  may  allow  the  children  to  imagine  that  they 
are  Shem,  Ham,  and  Japheth.  How  did  they  act  when 
unbelieving  people  taunted  them?  Did  they  call  them 
names?  Were  they  ashamed  of  what  Noah  was  doing? 

The  fear  of  ridicule  is  very  strong  in  all  children.  It 
causes  deep  unhappiness  to  be  “  different,”  or  to  live 
differently  from  playmates.  And  often  children  are  cruel 
in  the  way  in  which  they  treat  those  who  are  different, 
criticizing  them  and  making  fun  of  them  in  many  wavs. 
A  sensitive  child  endures  such  ridicule  with  great  suffer- 
ing,  and  you  will  have  taught  a  needed  lesson  if  you  can 
make  the  pupils  see  on  the  one  hand  that  to  endure  ridi¬ 
cule  when  we  know  that  we  are  right  is  brave,  and,  on 
the  other  hand,  that  to  ridicule  others  is  a  sin  disap¬ 
proved  by  God. 

Chapter  VI 

Week  Day  Session.  The  Teacher’s  Aim:  To  give  to 
the  pupils  the  story  of  the  Flood. 

That  childish  toy,  the  Noah’s  ark,  will  be  found  very 
useful  in  connection  with  this  lesson,  though  you  will 
find  that  not  many  of  these  representations  carry  out  the 


XXII 


TO  THE  TEACHER 


description  of  the  ark  given  in  the  Bible.  However,  you 
may  use  such  a  toy,  if  the  members  of  your  class  do  not 
make  satisfactory  “  arks,’’  to  work  out  the  story  on  the 
sand  table.  If  you  have  a  number  of  old  magazines  and 
papers  at  hand  the  younger  children  will  enjoy  finding 
pictures  of  animals  and  birds.  If  you  can  get  a  roll  of 
rather  heavy  white  wrapping  paper,  such  as  druggists 
use,  about  six  or  eight  inches  wide,  you  can  have  the 
children  color  the  animals  which  they  find,  and  paste 
them  on  the  paper  to  make  a  “  frieze,”  for  the  top  of  the 
blackboard,  or  for  all  around  the  room. 

For  a  more  elaborate  session  of  the  class,  you  mav  use 
one  of  the  many  dramatizations  of  this  story  which  have 
been  written.  The  story  of  Noah  has  been  a  favorite  sub¬ 
ject  of  dramatization  ever  since  medieval  times,  when  we 
find  it  given  in  the  old  “  morality  ”  plays.  In  form  suited 
for  Sunday  schools  it  may  be  found  in  “  Shorter  Bible 
Plays,”  by  Reta  Benton. 

The  Babylonian  Deluge  story  given  in  connection  with 
the  pupil’s  material  will  prove  interesting  to  the  older 
children  in  the  class.  They  will  enjoy  pointing  out  the 
similarities. 

Some  Pictures  to  Use  with  the  Lesson 

The  Deluge,  as  depicted  by  Michelangelo,  Raphael,  or 
Dore. 

Sunday  Session.  The  Teacher’s  Aim:  To  inspire  the 
pupils  with  a  desire  to  obey  God,  and  to  show  them  that 
God  is  always  kind. 

Begin  the  lesson  by  reviewing  the  story  of  the  building 
of  the  ark.  Have  the  pupils  rapidly  go  over  the  facts 
about  it,  and  then  tell  the  story  of  the  Flood. 

Introduce  the  lesson  proper  with  the  picture  of  the 
opening  of  the  door  of  the  ark.  Show  how  glad  both 
people  and  animals  were  to  go  out  from  the  building  in 
which  they  had  been  shut  up  for  so  long.  Then  speak  of 
Noah’s  thanksgiving,  and  compare  the  way  he  felt  toward 
God  with  the  way  in  which  Cain  and  Abel  felt.  Ask  if 
God  Avas  pleased  with  Noah.  How  did  he  sIioav  this? 
Let  the  pupils  themseUes  tell  the  story  of  the  rainboAv 
covenant,  and  emphasize  the  fact  of  God’s  goodness  and 


TO  THE  TEACHER 


xxm 


kindness  to  all  the  people  of  the  world.  Show  that  this 
kindness  reached  its  height  in  the  sending  of  Jesus  the 
Saviour  to  the  world. 

If  you  wish  to  go  into  the  subject  of  the  length  of  time 
for  which  Noah  was  in  the  ark,  the  following  summary 
based  on  Davis’  Bible  Dictionary  will  be  useful : 

1.  God  commanded  Noah  to  take  the  animals  into  the 
ark,  month  2,  day  10. 

2.  The  beginning  of  the  Flood,  month  2,  day  17. 

3.  Rain  continued  for  forty  days  and  forty  nights,  end¬ 
ing  on  month  3,  day  27. 

4.  For  one  hundred  and  fifty  days  waters  covered  the 
earth.  The  ark  rested  on  Mount  Ararat,  month  7,  day  17. 

5.  Mountain  tops  uncovered,  month  10,  day  1. 

6.  Raven  sent  out,  month  11,  day  11  or  12. 

7.  Dove  sent  out  and  returned,  month  11,  day  18  or  19. 

8.  Dove  brought  back  olive  leaf,  month  11,  day  25  or  26. 

9.  Dove  flew  away,  month  12,  day  2  or  3. 

10.  Noah  removed  the  covering  of  the  ark,  month  1, 
day  1. 

11.  God  commanded  Noah  to  leave  the  ark,  month  2, 
day  27. 

A  Book  to  Read  in  Connection  with  the  Lesson 

“  Light  on  the  Old  Testament  from  Babel,'’  by  Albert 

T.  Claw 

Pictures  which  will  prove  of  interest  are :  The  Ark  on 
Mount  Ararat,  by  Dore ;  The  Return  of  the  Dove  to  the 
Ark,  by  Oppenheim  ;  Noah  Leaving  the  Ark,  by  Raphael. 

Expressional  Session.  The  Teacher’s  Aim:  To  lead 
the  pupils  to  express  a  desire  to  follow  the  good  example 
set  before  them  in  the  life  of  Christ. 

For  this  session  you  can  have  written  on  the  board  the 
two  names,  “  Christ  ”  and  “  Noah.”  Ask  the  pupils  to 
put  in  parallel  columns  points  in  which  they  have  set  us 
examples,  something  as  follows : 

CHRIST  NOAH 

Obedience . John  5:30;  6:38;  8:29 . Genesis  6:22. 

Patience . Hebrews  12:1,  2 . Genesis  8:12. 

Righteousness. ..  I  John  2:1 . Genesis  6:9. 

Pleasing  God. .  .Matthew  3:17 . Genesis  9:1. 


XXIV 


TO  THE  TEACHER 


With  the  older  pupils  you  may  enjoy  finding  the 
various  references  to  Noah  in  the  New  Testament.  You 
will  find  these  given  in  the  pupil’s  material,  under  the 
heading,  Verses  for  Use  in  the  Meeting. 

Chapter  VII 

Week  Day  Session.  The  Teacher’s  Aim:  To  give  to 
the  pupils  the  geographical  and  historical  background  of 
Abraham’s  homeland. 

Begin  the  lesson  by  a  quick  summary  of  the  descend¬ 
ants  of  Noah.  Ask  the  pupils  to  name  his  three  sons. 
The  oldest  of  these  sons  was  Shem.  The  eighth  descend¬ 
ant  of  Shem  was  Terah,  who  lived  in  Ur  of  the  Chaldees. 
Tell  about  the  city,  its  greatness  and  civilization.  You 
will  find  much  material  in  Clay’s  “  Light  on  the  Old  Tes¬ 
tament  from  Babel  ”  and  in  other  accounts  of  Babylonian 
exploration  which  may  be  obtained  from  the  public 
libraries.  In  Abraham’s  day  Ur  was  on  the  seacoast,  a 
rich  maritime  city,  though  now  it  is  identified  as  Mugav- 
yar,  or  Mughur,  a  village  of  mud  huts.  It  is  now  one 
hundred  and  twenty  miles  north  from  the  sea,  for  to  such 
an  extent  has  the  Persian  Gulf  “  made  land.” 

Speak  of  the  new  subtitle  of  our  lessons,  “  Stories  of 
Three  Patriarchs.”  Ask  what  a  “  patriarch  ”  is,  and  ex¬ 
plain  the  meaning  of  the  word.  There  are  many  legends 
connected  with  Abraham  which  show  that  the  family  was 
rich  and  well  thought  of.  Terah  had  three  sons.  Ask  the 
pupils  for  their  names.  Show  that  Abram  and  Abraham, 
as  we  have  uniformly  called  him  in  these  lessons,  were 
the  same.  The  name  Sarai,  the  first  name  of  Abraham’s 
wife,  means  “  princess.”  Ask  why  the  family  started  on 
a  long  journey  whose  end  they  did  not  know.  Show  that 
it  was  in  obedience  to  God’s  command,  and  trace  the 
route  north  and  west  along  the  Euphrates  to  Haran. 
Make  this  lesson  geographical,  and  do  a  generous  amount 
of  map  work. 

“  Even  the  departure  of  Abraham  with  his  father  and 
his  nephew  and  his  wife  Sarah  from  the  great  capital,  Ur 
of  the  Chaldees,  will  start  the  little  child’s  imagination  to 
work  when  he  learns — as  the  enormous  mass  of  legend 


TO  THE  TEACHER 


XXV 


teaches — that  this  was  an  influential  family  in  that  coun¬ 
try  ;  that  they  might  have  lived  there  as  princes,  if  they 
had  been  willing  to  worship  idols  as  the  other  people  of 
the  city  did ;  and  that  they  gave  up  all  their  property  and 
their  pleasant  home  to  go  away  where  they  might  be 
good  and  worship  the  true  God.  The  long  night  jour- 
neyings  under  the  starry  sky,  the  days  being  too  hot  for 
traveling,  strike  the  idyllic  keynote  at  once ;  the  building 
of  altars  and  calling  upon  God  at  every  halting  place 
strikes  the  religious  note  in  such  wise  as  will  awaken  re¬ 
sponse  in  even  the  youngest  child,  and  the  death  of  the 
old  father  in  Haran,  while  yet  they  were  far  away  from 
the  Promised  Land,  will  give  the  touch  of  personal 
sympathy.” 

Sunday  Session.  The  Teacher's  Aim:  To  point  out  to 
the  pupils  the  reward  which  God  promised  to  Abraham 
for  his  obedience. 

As  in  the  case  of  Noah,  the  lesson  of  obedience  is  here 
brought  out.  Show  how  much  it  meant  for  Abraham  to 
obey  God’s  command  to  go  out  from  Haran,  where  they 
had  been  settled  for  many  prosperous  years.  The  people 
who  made  up  the  caravan  had  increased.  The  flocks  and 
herds  had  increased.  Southward  Abraham  moved,  into 
the  land  which  God  said  should  belong  to  him.  He 
paused  at  various  points,  where  he  built  an  altar  and  wor¬ 
shiped  God.  Make  as  vivid  as  possible  your  word  picture 
of  this  journeying,  letting  the  younger  children  work  out 
a  representation  of  the  camp  on  the  sand  table. 

Expressional  Session.  The  Teacher's  Aim:  To  show 
that  through  Christ,  the  descendant  of  Abraham,  all  the 
nations  of  the  earth  have  been  blessed. 

From  their  day-school  history  the  children  are  familiar 
with  the  reasons  which  brought  most  of  the  original  col¬ 
onists  to  America.  After  the  leader's  opening  address 
bring  the  matter  close  to  the  children’s  own  lives  by 
bringing  out  how  we  are  blessed  to-day  because  we  live- 
in  a  Christian  land  under  Christian  government.  Show 
how  Christian  truth  and  doctrine  are  spreading  until, 
when  Christ’s  followers  have  carried  out  his  command  to 
preach  the  gospel  to  every  nation,  all  the  nations  of  the 
world  shall  be  blessed  through  Abraham,  and  God’s 


XXVI 


TO  THE  TEACHER 


promise  to  this  patriarch  will  be  fulfilled.  Urge  them  to 
express  a  desire  to  help  in  completing  the  fulfillment  of 
the  promise. 

Chapter  VIII 

Week  Day  Session.  The  Teacher’s  Aim:  To  give  to 
the  pupils  a  background  of  geography  for  Bible  history. 

The  lesson  may  be  taught  very  effectively  by  means 
of  map  work.  The  children  will  be  very  much  interested 
in  a  large  relief  map,  if  you  can  obtain  one  of  these. 

They  will  be  interested,  too,  in  making  such  a  map  for 
themselves,  according  to  the  directions  given  on  page  78. 
A  good  relief  map  will  be  found  in  the  stereographs  by 
Underwood  and  Underwood,  New  York,  or  in  Kent’s 
“  Biblical  Geography  and  History.”  These  maps,  being 
larger  than  that  in  the  lesson  will  be  easier  to  follow.  A 
paper  relief  map  is  published  by  Poates,  New  York,  and 
can  be  obtained  from  the  Presbyterian  Board  of  Publi¬ 
cation  and  Sabbath  School  Work. 

If  it  is  not  possible  to  have  the  relief  map,  have  a  large 
outline  map  of  Palestine  put  on  the  blackboard.  Supply 
the  pupils  with  outline  maps  such  as  may  be  obtained 
from  various  'denominational  publishing  houses,  or  have 
them  make  the  outlines  themselves.  Obtain  from  a  sta¬ 
tioner  small  gummed  pictures  showing  features  of  the 
various  sections  of  Canaan,  and  let  the  pupils  paste  these 
on  their  maps.  One  school,  for  instance,  used  an  eagle 
seal  for  the  mountainous  regions  where  these  birds  were 
found ;  a  fish  seal  for  the  Sea  of  Galilee ;  a  lily  seal  for 
the  fertile  regions  of  Galilee,  and  so  on.  You  may  adapt 
the  idea  in  your  class  to  the  life  of  Abraham  by  using 
plain  brown  gum  tape  paper,  such  as  is  used  in  wrapping 
packages,  and  letting  the  pupils  themselves  make  the 
seals  with  colored  crayons.  Let  them  draw  on  the  tape 
small  tents,  sheep,  goats,  camels,  oak  trees,  altars,  as  the 
lessons  suggest,  and  put  them  in  the  proper  places  on  the 
map.  This  will  give  them  geographical  and  historical 
knowledge,  at  the  same  time. 

Sunday  Session.  The  Teacher’s  Aim:  To  teach  the 
pupils  the  importance  of  unselfishness. 

Perhaps  you  will  find  it  difficult  to  make  your  pupils 


TO  THE  TEACHER 


XXVll 


see  that  Abraham  was  right  in  giving  Lot  the  first  choice. 
Abraham  was  the  older  man.  God  had  given  him  the 
land.  He  had  the  right  to  take  the  first  choice  himself, 
and  to  give  to  Lot  what  he  did  not  himself  want.  To 
pupils  of  Junior  age,  this  will  be  very  clear.  When 
John  is  older  than  Robert,  John  is  entitled  to  the  first 
choice.  Again  and  again  you  will  find  this  rule  in  fam¬ 
ilies.  Perhaps,  however,  you  can  make  Abraham’s  atti¬ 
tude  clear  by  using  their  mothers  as  examples.  Give  an 
example  of  this  kind :  Did  you  ever  notice  that  when 
mother  is  serving  the  dessert  at  the  table,  she  always 
serves  herself  last?  Does  she  keep  the  best  and  largest 
helping  for  herself?  Or  does  she  give  the  very  nicest 
part  of  the  pudding  to  some  one  else?  Why  does  mother 
give  to  others  the  choice  pieces  of  pie  or  the  largest 
peach,  or  the  piece  of  cake  that  has  the  most  raisins?  It 
is  because  she  loves  others  better  than  she  loves  herself, 
and  wants  them  to  have  the  best.  That  was  the  way  it 
was  with  Abraham  and  his  nephew,  Lot.  Though  he 
knew  that  he  was  entitled  to  the  first  choice,  he  allowed 
Lot  to  say  what  he  wanted  because  he  was  generous  and 
unselfish.  He  could  have  made  Lot  very  angry,  I  think, 
by  saying  to  Lot:  “I  like  the  looks  of  this  stretch  of 
country  over  here.  I  will  keep  my  flocks  and  herds  here. 
You  can  take  the  land  in  the  other  direction."  But  he 
loved  Lot,  just  as  your  mothers  love  you,  and  so  he 
wanted  to  give  Lot  the  very  best.  He  was  generous  and 
kind,  and  so  avoided  even  the  chance  of  a  quarrel.  So 
can  you  to-day  avoid  quarrels,  and  settle  the  quarrels  of 
others,  if  you  love  them  better  than  you  love  yourself, 
and  give  them  the  first  choice.  If  others  feel  the  same 
way  as  you  do,  then  there  will  come  a  time  when  there 
will  be  no  more  quarreling  in  the  world,  for  everyone 
will  think  of  others  first,  and  all  will  be  generous  and 
unselfish.  - _____ 

Expressional  Session.  The  Teacher's  Aim:  To  obtain 
from  the  pupils  an  expression  of  a  desire  to  avoid  and 
settle  quarrels  as  Abraham  did,  and  to  try  to  reach  the 
ideal  which-  Jesus  set  before  us. 

Make  the  lesson  very  practical  for  the  pupils.  Impress 
upon  them  Jesus’  rule,  and  show  them  that  if  they  may 


XXV111 


TO  THE  TEACHER 


love  even  those  whom  they  do  not  like,  and  try  to  be 
even  more  than  fair  and  square  to  them,  so  they  will 
avoid  quarrels,  and  make  friends  rather  than  enemies. 
Let  them  see  that  they  should  treat  others  as  they  them¬ 
selves  would  want  to  be  treated,  giving  others  first  place, 
preferring  others  to  themselves.  Close  the  lesson  by 
having  one  of  the  pupils  who  reads  well,  read  the  thir¬ 
teenth  chapter  of  First  Corinthians,  which  shows  so  well 
the  value  that  the  Bible  puts  upon  love. 


Chapter  IX 

Week  Day  Session.  The  Teacher’s  Aim:  To  give  to 
the  pupils  something  of  the  geography  of  Genesis. 

The  fourteenth  chapter  of  Genesis  has  long  been  a 
battle  ground  between  scholars,  who  for  many  years 
thought  that  the  facts  as  given  in  this  chapter  were  un¬ 
confirmed  by  the  history  of  Babylon  and  Assyria,  and 
who  said  that  there  were  no  such  kings  and  no  such 
places  as  those  mentioned  in  this  chapter.  However,  as 
scholars  have  made  more  complete  investigations,  they 
have  found  more  and  more  material  which  confirms  the 
historical  accuracy  of  this  chapter.  An  interesting  ac¬ 
count  of  this  may  be  found  in  Clay’s  book  already  re¬ 
ferred  to,  “  Light  on  the  Old  Testament  from  Babel.” 

Very  interesting  pictures  of  the  time  of  Hammurabi 
may  be  found  to  use  in  connection  with  this  lesson.  The 
monument  discovered  in  Susa,  in  1902  gives  a  picture  of 
the  king  himself  standing  before  the  sun  god. 

For  the  younger  pupils,  the  names  in  this  chapter  will 
prove  too  difficult  and  so  have  not  been  mentioned  in 
telling  the  story.  The  older  pupils  who  have  been  trained 
in  such  work  in  day  school  will  enjoy  an  exercise  in  pro¬ 
nunciation.  Have  them  put  the  names  on  the  board  and 
drill  on  them. 

Sunday  Session.  The  Teacher’s  Aim:  To  appeal  to 
the  pupils  through  their  sense  of  the  heroic  in  Abraham, 
who  was  true  to  his  nephew  and  who  trusted  God  be¬ 
cause  he  knew  that  he  was  in  the  right. 

Trace  Abraham’s  journey  north  almost  to  Damascus. 


TO  THE  TEACHER 


XXIX 


Emphasize  his  bravery  in  setting  out  to  the  rescue  of  the 
nephew  whom  he  still  loved,  though  he  had  failed  him. 

Describe  a  battle  of  ancient  times,  comparing  it  to 
modern  warfare.  There  were  no  gunpowder,  no  guns, 
no  cannon.  The  warriors  used  bows  and  arrows,  helmets 
and  breastplates,  in  battle.  How  Abraham  rescued  Lot 
we  are  not  told,  but  we  can  imagine  a  sudden  night  raid, 
perhaps  with  some  stratagem  such  as  Gideon  used, 
against  a  small  division  of  the  enemy  who  were  guard¬ 
ing  the  prisoners  and  the  booty.  Tell  the  story  vividly, 
making  it  clear  that  we  do  not  really  know  any  details, 
except  that  Abraham  “  divided  himself  against  them  by 
night,  he  and  his  servants,  and  smote  them,  and  pur¬ 
sued  them  unto  Hobah,  which  is  on  the  left  hand  of 
Damascus." 

Expressional  Session.  The  Teacher’s  Aim :  Through 
the  teacher  and  the  exercises  to  rouse  in  the  pupils  a  de¬ 
sire  to  follow  the  example  of  Abraham,  the  fair-minded 
and  generous. 

There  are  many  points  in  the  lesson  which  may  be 
emphasized,  in  showing  the  example  that  Abraham  set 
for  us  to  follow. 

1.  Abraham  was  true-hearted.  He  did  not  allow  Lot’s 
treatment  to  affect  his  love  for  his  nephew.  He  set  out 
to  rescue  him  as  soon  as  he  heard  that  he  was  in  danger. 

2.  Abraham  was  brave.  Like  Jonathan  afterwards,  he 
knew  that  God  would  send  the  victory  where  he  willed, 
not  giving  the  battle  to  many  or  to  few.  With  only 
three  hundred  and  eighteen  men  he  set  out  in  pursuit  of 
those  who  had  captured  his  nephew. 

3.  Abraham  acknowledged  that  the  victory  belonged 
to  God,  and  in  acknowledgment  of  this,  he  gave  one 
tenth  of  the  spoils  as  an  offering. 

4.  Abraham  was  fair.  He  would  take  none  of  the  cap¬ 
tured  booty  for  himself,  though  he  insisted  that  his  allies 
should  have  their  share. 

Emphasize  the  point  which  seems  most  needed  among 
your  pupils  and  obtain  from  them  an  expression  of  a  de¬ 
sire  to  follow  the  example  of  Abraham. 

Among  younger  pupils  do  not  say  much  about  Mel- 
chizedek.  With  older  pupils  say  that  he  is  mentioned  in 


XXX  TO  THE  TEACHER 

the  New  Testament,  but  that  we  know  little  or  nothing 
about  him. 

Chapter  X 

Week  Day  Session.  The  Teacher's  Aim:  To  give  to 
the  pupils  a  familiarity  with  Eastern  hospitality  and 
methods  of  entertaining  guests. 

The  customs  and  manners  of  the  East  are  so  unchang¬ 
ing  that  it  is  possible  to  obtain  a  picture  of  life  at  the 
time  of  Abraham  by  studying  the  account  of  life  in  the 
land  of  Abraham  to-day.  Such  descriptions  may  be  found 
in  the  following  books:  “Bible  Lands,  Their  Manners 
and  Customs,”  by  Van  Lennep ;  “Out  of  Doors  in  the 
Holy  Land,’’  by  Van  Dyke ;  “  Oriental  Social  Life,”  by 
Trumbull.  From  this  last  book  an  extract  is  given  in 
the  pupil's  lesson.  Most  interesting  pictures  of  Bedouin 
life  may  be  obtained  from  Underwood  and  Underwood, 
New  York,  and  by  consulting  old  files  of  the  National 
Geographic  Magazine  in  your  public  library,  you  can  ob¬ 
tain  much  information.  Many  of  the  pictures  in  these 
magazines  are  beautifully  colored,  and  will  be  found  ex¬ 
ceedingly  interesting. 

Make  a  good  deal  of  the  handwork  and  the  map  work 
in  this  lesson.  The  material  will  be  most  valuable  in  giv¬ 
ing  a  background  for  Sunday’s  lesson,  “  Abraham  En¬ 
tertaining  Angels.” 

Sunday  Session.  The  Teacher's  Aim:  To  show  the 
pupils  that  true  followers  of  God  are  always  kind  and 
hospitable  in  their  relations  to  one  another. 

The  Memory  Verse  in  this  lesson  would  seem  to  em¬ 
phasize  the  thought  that  in  entertaining  strangers,  we 
seem  to  entertain  angels  unawares,  and  so  obtain  an  un¬ 
expected  reward.  Do  not  let  the  reward  as  the  motive 
for  hospitality  be  emphasized ;  instead  emphasize  the 
thought  of  Matthew  25  :40,  “  Inasmuch  as  ye  did  it  unto 
one  of  these  my  brethren,  even  these  least,  ye  did  it  unto 
me.”  In  this  connection  you  may  tell  the  story  of  Tol¬ 
stoi’s  “  Where  Love  Is,  There  God  Is,”  or  the  legend  of 
Saint  Christopher  and  how  he  obtained  his  name,  or  the 
poem  of  Edwin  Markham,  “  How  the  Great  Guest  Came,” 
found  in  the  volume  “  Shoes  of  Happiness,”  and  quoted 


TO  THE  TEACHER 


XXXI 


in  part  in  the  pupil's  lesson.  Hawthorne’s  story,  “  The 
Miraculous  Pitcher,'’  may  also  be  used. 

In  illustration  of  this  lesson,  show  Dore's  picture  of 
Abraham  Receiving  the  Angels. 

Expressional  Session.  The  Teacher’s  Aim:  To  lead 
the  pupils  to  express  a  desire  to  be  kind  and  hospitable 
to  others,  and  especially  to  strangers  in  their  day  school 
and  in  their  church  school. 

If  there  is  in  the  school  at  this  session  a  strange  child, 
or  strange  children,  or  even  children  who  do  not  attend 
the  sessions  of  the  class  regularly,  see  that  they  are 
greeted  cordially  and  made  to  feel  at  home.  Put  them 
under  the  care  of  some  of  the  less  shy  children  in  the 
school.  There  are  always  some  children  who  delight  in 
introducing  a  new  pupil  to  the  ways  and  customs  of  the 
school.  However,  do  not  select  those  children  who  will 
be  too  superior  to  the  stranger. 

The  difference  between  the  foreign  child  and  the  native 
American  child,  or  even  the  foreign  child  who  has 
mingled  with  American  children  for  several  years,  is  very 
marked.  Lead  your  pupils  to  see  that  foreign  children 
are  not  necessarily  inferior  because  they  do  not  under¬ 
stand.  Show  them  that  they  are  being  true  to  God  and 
to  the  nation  when  they  welcome  the  foreign  child  into 
their  midst.  True  Americanization  will  spread  rapidly 
from  the  child  to  his  parents,  and  they  will  feel,  if  their 
child  is  hospitably  received,  that  the  land  is  truly  a  hos¬ 
pitable  land. 

Chapter  XI 

Week  Day  Session.  The  Teacher's  Aim  :  To  give  to 
the  pupils  information  concerning  the  region  about 
Sodom  and  Gomorrah  and  the  Dead  Sea  ;  to  impress  the 
fact  that  the  prayers  of  a  righteous  man  are  of  great  value 
in  God’s  eyes. 

God  would  have  spared  the  wicked  city  of  Sodom  if 
there  had  been  ten  righteous  men  and  women  found  there. 
He  did  spare  Lot  and  his  daughters.  As  was  the  case 
with  X”oah,  God's  mercy  in  doing  this  is  the  lesson  to  be 
emphasized  with  Juniors,  rather  than  the  punishment  for 


XXX11 


TO  THE  TEACHER 


wickedness  given  to  the  sinful  men  of  Sodom  and 
Gomorrah. 

If  you  are  familiar  with  Bulwer  Lvtton's  “  Last  Days 
of  Pompeii,’’  you  may  find  it  of  interest  to  read  to  your 
pupils  part  of  the  story  of  the  eruption  of  Mount  Ve¬ 
suvius,  and  to  show  how  there,  too,  the  preservation  of 
those  who  were  Christians  and  who  trusted  God  is 
emphasized. 

References  to  Sodom  and  Gomorrah  in  other  parts  of 
the  Bible  may  be  looked  up.  Some  of  these  references 
are  as  follows : 

Deuteronomy  29:23;  Isaiah  13:19;  Jeremiah  49:18; 
Amos  4:11;  Matthew  10:15;  11:24;  Luke  10:12;  II  Peter 
2  :6,  7. 

Sunday  Session.  The  Teacher’s  Aim:  To  give  to  the 
pupils  an  impression  of  the  joy  caused  by  the  birth  of 
Isaac,  and  to  compare  this  with  the  joy  at  the  birth  of 
Samuel  in  the  Old  Testament,  and  at  the  birth  of  Jesus 
and  of  John  the  Baptist  in  the  New  Testament. 

If  possible  read  the  description  of  the  rejoicing  at  such 
a  time  as  this  as  given  in  some  book  on  modern  Oriental 
life,  such  as  Elilni  Grant’s  “  The  People  of  Palestine.” 
Read  selections  of  this  sort  to  the  pupils.  Then  ask  them 
to  look  up  and  compare  the  words  in  which  God’s  mes¬ 
sages  were  spoken  to  Abraham,  Genesis  17:19;  to  Joseph, 
Matthew  1  :21  ;  to  Zacharias,  Luke  1  :13.  In  each  of  these 
passages,  the  name  of  the  child  to  be  born,  was  given. 
God  had  special  duties  in  the  world  for  each  of  these 
children.  In  Isaac  the  beginning  of  the  fulfillment  of 
God’s  promise  to  Abraham  was  made.  In  Jesus,  the 
culmination  was  reached.  Point  out,  however,  that  we 
who  are  followers  of  Christ  must  continue  to  spread  the 
tidings  of  his  coming,  and  so  continue  the  fulfillment  of 
the  promise  made  hundreds  of  years  ago. 

Expressional  Session.  The  Teacher’s  Aim:  To  lead 
the  pupils  to  approach  God  in  prayer  for  themselves  and 
for  others. 

Since  this  session  of  the  school  is  to  be  an  expression 
of  the  pupils’  own  thought,  it  is  very  frequently  wise  to 
have  them  pray  to  our  heavenly  Father.  Try  to  make 
them  understand  what  true  prayer  is ;  that  it  is  not  merely 


TO  THE  TEACHER 


XXXlll 


asking  God  for  something  for  ourselves,  or  even  for 
others,  but  also  praise  and  thanksgiving  for  the  good 
things  that  he  has  already  given  us. 

With  younger  or  more  immature  pupils,  teach  simple 
prayers  and  graces  to  use  at  table,  in  addition  to  The 
Lord’s  Prayer,  which,  by  the  time  they  are  Juniors,  they 
should  certainly  know. 

Here  are  a  number  of  simple  prayers  and  graces  which 
you  may  teach. 


Lord  Jesus,  be  our  holy  Guest, 

Our  morning  Joy,  our  evening  Rest; 

And  with  our  daily  bread  impart 
Thy  love  and  peace  to  every  heart. 

— “  Common  Worship/' 

Blessed  Lord,  we  thank  thee 
For  thy  care  to-day; 

Alake  us  good  and  noble, 

Take  our  sins  away. 

Bless  the  friends  who  love  us; 

From  all  evil  keep : 

May  thy  holy  angels 

Guard  us  while  we  sleep. 

— Thomas  Simmons  (with  alterations). 

“  Give  us  this  day  our  daily  bread  ” 

Our  table  is  so  amply  spread, 

Show  us  how  best  to  save  and  spare, 

Until  our  every  loaf  we  share 
With  hungry  children  everywhere. 

Father,  that  all  be  fed. 

“  Give  us  our  daily  bread.’1 

— Alice  E.  Allen. 

“For  these  and  all  thy  gifts  of  love 
We  give  thee  thanks  and  praise ; 

Look  down.  O  Father,  from  above 
And  bless  us  all  our  days.” 

“  We  thank  thee,  God,  for  this  good  food 
That  thou  hast  given  to-day; 

And  help  us  all  grow  strong  and  good, 

To  live  for  thee,  we  pray.” 


A  number  of  prayer  hymns  are  mentioned  in  the  pupil’s 
lesson.  Have  some  of  these  sung.  Make  the  service  a 


XXXIV 


TO  THE  TEACHER 


service  of  prayer  and  praise,  as  has  been  suggested  occa¬ 
sionally  before  in  this  series  of  lessons. 

Chapter  XII 

Week  Day  Session.  The  Teacher’s  Aim:  To  give  to 
the  pupils  the  story  of  the  test  of  Abraham’s  faith,  and 
how  it  was  proved  well  founded. 

The  story  of  the  test  of  Abraham  will  prove  very  inter¬ 
esting  to  your  pupils.  Be  sure  to  let  them  feel  how 
deeply  Abraham  loved  Isaac.  Abraham  did  not  under¬ 
stand  what  God  intended,  as  he  set  out  in  obedience  to 
God’s  commands,  and  evidently  Isaac  did  not  know  that 
he  was  to  be  sacrificed.  This  part  of  the  story — the 
obedience  and  yielding  of  Isaac,  when  he  did  realize, 
when  he  allowed  himself  to  be  bound  and  placed  upon 
the  altar — is  rarely  emphasized  in  telling  the  story,  but  it 
gives  us  a  good  insight  into  the  character  of  Isaac. 

Stories  of  the  sacrifice  of  children  at  the  command  of 
higher  powers  are  frequently  found  in  secular  literature. 
The  story  of  King  Agammemnon  of  Greece  and  the  com¬ 
mand  of  the  gods  to  sacrifice  his  daughter  Iphigenia  at 
the  time  of  the  siege  of  Troy,  in  order  to  save  the  Greek 
army,  is  familiar  in  Greek  literature.  There  is  a  similar 
story  in  the  literature  of  Scandinavia,  given  in  poetic 
form  in  Tennyson’s  poem,  “The  Victim.” 

Some  Pictures  to  Use  with  the  Lesson 

Dore,  Slade,  Rembrandt,  Allori,  and  others  have  de¬ 
picted  this  story.  Copies  of  some  of  these  prints  may  be 
obtained  from  the  Wilde  Picture  Company. 

Sunday  Session.  The  Teacher’s  Aim:  To  review  with 
the  pupils  the  record  of  God’s  promises  to  Abraham. 

This  is  practically  the  last  lesson  of  the  series  on  Abra¬ 
ham,  as  in  the  next  lesson  we  turn  to  Isaac.  It  will  be 
well  to  review  the  lessons  on  this  patriarch  during  the 
session.  It  is  suggested  that  this  be  done  by  means  of 
the  promises  made  to  Abraham  at  different  times  during 
his  life,  as  they  are  given  in  the  Bible. 

Let  the  pupils  themselves  look  up  the  promises  given 


TO  THE  TEACHER 


XXXV 


in  their  Bibles,  and  hunt  out  the  various  comparisons 
used.  Ask  them  if  it  is  possible  to  count  the  stars.  It  is 
said  that  the  number  of  the  stars  seen  by  the  ordinary 
eye  is  between  five  and  six  thousand,  and  that  with  the 
Yerkes  telescope  probably  one  hundred  million  are 
reached.  Of  course,  there  are  even  more  stars  than  that. 
'The  sands  of  the  sea,  the  particles  of  dust,  too,  are  too 
many  to  be  numbered.  Such  was  God’s  promise  to 
Abraham.  Show  how  it  is  being  carried  out.  Not  only 
the  Jews  are  meant  in  the  promise  to  Abraham’s  descend¬ 
ants,  but  in  the  spiritual  sense  all  Christians  are  the  fol¬ 
lowers  of  Abraham — his  spiritual  children  for  whom  the 
promises  were  intended.  Galatians  3  :29. 

Expressional  Session.  The  Teacher’s  Aim:  To  show 
to  the  pupils  some  of  God’s  promises  to  them,  and  how 
they  are  carried  out. 

In  the  Bible  there  are  very  many  promises  of  God  to 
the  people  of  the  world,  which  may  be  used  in  connection 
with  this  lesson.  Let  the  pupils  look,  for  instance,  over 
the  Sermon  on  the  Mount,  Matthew,  chapters  5  to  7,  and 
see  the  number  of  promises  found  there.  Ask  each  pupil 
to  look  over  a  certain  number  of  verses,  and  see  how 
many  promises  he  can  find.  All  the  Beatitudes  are  of 
course  promises  of  blessing. 

Chapter  XIII 

Week  Day  Session.  The  Teacher’s  Aim :  To  teach  the 
pupils  the  story  of  Isaac  and  Rebekah. 

A  little  dramatization  is  suggested  for  this  lesson.  It 
may  be  used  either  at  the  W eek  Day  Session  or  at  the 
Expressional  Session  of  the  school.  If  it  is  used  at  the 
Expressional  Session,  the  preparation  will  fill  the  line 
of  the  Week  Day  Session.  It  may  be  carried  out  very 
simply  as  to  scenery,  the  tents  being  simply  made  with 
old  couch  covers,  or  sheets,  or  rugs.  It  is  not  necessary 
to  enter  the  tents,  so  a  foundation  of  chairs  can  be  used 
and  covered  with  the  rugs.  Place  two  chairs  side  by  side. 
At  a  distance  of  several  feet  place  another  pair  of  chairs 
with  their  backs  to  the  first  pair.  Cover  the  tops  and 
sides  with  rugs.  Let  a  curtain  dropped  at  the  front  and 
at  the  sides,  hide  the  chairs. 


XXXVI 


TO  THE  TEACHER 


For  the  well  in  the  second  scene,  chairs  placed  on  their 
sides  may  represent  the  curb.  This  may  be  covered  or 
not  as  vou  wish. 

You  must  have  as  properties  a  pitcher  for  Rebekah,  a 
nose  ring  (a  curtain  ring  will  do),  bracelets,  and  “gar¬ 
ments  ’’  to  use  as  gifts. 

Costumes 

For  the  men  a  close  fitting  tunic  may  be  used  as  an  un¬ 
dergarment,  or  you  may  have  the  outer  garment  worn 
over  the  children’s  own  clothes.  This  outer  garment  is 
blanket  shaped,  of  a  bright  color,  striped  with  white.  It 
is  draped  by  “  throwing  one  end  over  the  left  shoulder, 
then  passing  it  across  the  front  of  the  body  and  under 
the  right  arm,  then  across  the  back,  and  to  the  left 
shoulder  again. ’’  It  should  be  long  enough  to  reach  the 
ground.  The  headdress  is  a  piece  of  square  cloth,  folded 
diagonally  and  placed  on  the  head  with  the  long  point 
at  the  back;  the  two  ends  are  crossed  under  the  chin  and 
thrown  back  over  the  shoulder.  A  cord  may  be  tied 
around  the  head.  Rebekah’s  costume  is  much  the  same 
as  those  of  the  men.  A  veil  may  be  draped  over  the  head 
instead  of  the  turban. 

Pictures.  There  are  various  pictures  of  Rebekah  at  the 
well,  which  you  may  obtain  from  the  various  picture 
companies. 

Sunday  Session.  The  Teacher’s  Aim:  To  impress 
upon  the  pupils  the  story  of  Rebekah’s  kindness  to  a 
stranger. 

The  pupils  have  given  the  dramatization  of  the  story 
of  Rebekah,  at  the  Week  Day  Session  of  the  school,  or  are 
preparing  to  give  it  at  the  Expressional  Session.  The 
Sunday  Session  should  be  devoted  to  having  them  tell 
the  story  and  themselves  drawing  practical  lessons  from 
it.  They  will  probably  be  anxious  to  tell  you  the  story. 
Correct  any  mistaken  ideas  that  they  may  have  about  the 
customs  and  manners  of  the  times.  For  instance,  be  sure 
that  they  understand  that  the  well  of  the  Orient  is  not 
like  the  well  with  which  perhaps  they  may  be  familiar. 
Draw  a  rough  sketch  on  the  blackboard,  using  as  a  model 
the  picture  given  with  the  pupil's  lesson. 


TO  THE  TEACHER 


XXXVll 


If  you  expect  to  present  the  dramatization  at  the  Ex- 
pressional  Session,  combine  some  of  the  material  given 
there  with  that  for  this  session,  giving  the  lesson  a  de¬ 
cidedly  practical  turn. 

Expressional  Session.  The  Teacher’s  Aim:  To  lead 
the  pupils  to  express  a  desire  to  be  kind,  and  to  find  for 
themselves  ways  of  being  kind. 

There  are  many  stories  of  kindness  given  in  the  col¬ 
lections  of  stories  for  special  purposes  which  you  can  use 
in  connection  with  this  subject.  Sly’s  book,  “  World 
Stories  Retold  ’’  gives  stories  under  classification  as  to 
ethical  teachings,  and  you  will  find  it  a  very  useful  book 
for  your  library.  Under  the  subject  “  Kindness  ’’  there 
are  many  stories  listed,  which  you  may  find  available. 

It  has  been  suggested  that  this  session  be  used  to  pre¬ 
sent  “  The  Story  of  Isaac  and  Rebekah.”  If  this  is  done, 
combine  the  material  for  this  session  with  that  for  the 
Sunday  Session. 

Chapter  XIV 

Week  Day  Session.  The  Teacher’s  Aim  :  To  show  the 
pupils  the  importance  of  desiring  the  better  gifts  in  the 
best  way. 

Try  to  make  as  vivid  as  possible  before  the  pupils  the 
picture  of  the  encampment  of  Isaac  and  Rebekah,  with 
the  two  boys  growing  up.  Picture  the  twins  as  clearly 
as  possible,  showing  that  Esau  was  an  out-of-door  man, 
who  loved  the  hunt.  Isaac  was  at  this  time  getting  old 
and  childish — he  was  probably  over  a  hundred  years  old 
— and  Esau  appealed  to  his  physical  appetite — his  desire 
for  food.  Rebekah,  the  beautiful  maiden  of  Haran,  shows 
the  development  of  the  characteristics  depicted  in  the 
first  stories  about  her.  She  is  capable  of  making  her  own 
decisions,  and  decisions  for  her  son  ;  as  she  decided  for 
herself  to  go  at  once  with  Eliezer,  Genesis  24  :58  ;  so  here 
she  plans  and  decides  for  herself  and  for  Jacob,  too,  who 
is  willing  to  give  in  to  his  mother’s  decisions,  and  so  is 
her  favorite. 

The  picture  of  the  family  is  hardly  pleasant,  with  the 
mother  and  the  father  showing  decided  preferences  be¬ 
tween  the  two  sons,  and  neither  of  the  two  sons  being 


xxxvm 


TO  THE  TEACHER 


altogether  admirable.  Try  to  make  the  pupils  see  that 
Jacob  really  wanted  the  birthright.  He  appreciated  what 
it  meant,  and  God  intended  it  for  him,  Genesis  25 :23. 
Only,  because  he  tried  to  get  it  in  his  own  way,  without 
waiting  for  God,  he  had  to  be  punished  and  to  wait  for 
many  years  before  he  obtained  the  rights  and  privileges 
for  which  he  so  greatly  longed.  Show  the  pupils  that  his 
desire  was  good — he  did  desire  the  best  thing,  and  in  this 
he  was  far  better  than  Esau,  who  desired  only  momentary 
gratification. 

Sunday  Session.  The  Teacher’s  Aim:  To  show  to  the 
pupils  how  wrongly  Jacob  set  about  to  gain  the  birth¬ 
right,  and  to  show  them  that  it  would  have  been  far  bet¬ 
ter  for  him  to  wait  for  God  to  carry  out  his  plans. 

This  lesson  again  shows  the  characters  of  the  Bible 
record  in  a  most  unpleasant  light.  Rebekah  is  no  longer 
the  charming  heroine  of  romance,  but  a  mother  who 
shows  favoritism  between  her  children,  and  who  deceives 
her  husband  for  the  sake  of  the  son  whom  she  loves  the 
most.  There  is  small  choice  between  Jacob  and  Esau, 
though  in  this  story  our  sympathies  are  with  Esau.  As 
you  paint  the  picture  of  Jacob,  show  that  God  did  not 
approve  his  action.  Tell  the  pupils  that  they  will  see  the 
results  of  the  lie  in  their  next  lesson,  and  that  Jacob  suf¬ 
fered  long  years  of  punishment  for  his  sin. 

Bring  the  story  to  a  practical  application  with  a  mod¬ 
ern  story  showing  the  virtue  of  truth-telling.  There  are 
many  such  stories  to  be  found  in  “  The  King’s  Highway 
Series,”  by  Sneath,  Hodges,  and  Tweedy,  and  in  the  Sly 
book  already  mentioned,  “  World  Stories  Retold.” 

Expressional  Session.  The  Teacher’s  Aim:  To  lead 
the  pupils  to  express  a  desire  to  be  worthy  of  their  birth¬ 
right  as  Christian  American  Juniors. 

Base  this  lesson  on  the  old  evangelistic  hymn  “  My 
Father  Is  Rich  in  Houses  and  Lands,”  and  lead  them  to 
understand  that  they  have  a  birthright  even  better  than 
that  of  Jacob  and  Esau,  for  they  are  the  inheritors  of  the 
promises  of  Christ.  They  have,  too,  the  inheritance 
which  has  come  to  them  from  the  Christian  founders  of 
our  nation.  They  have  the  birthright  to  so  many  good 
things  that  they  cannot  appreciate  them  all.  If  you  can 


TO  THE  TEACHER 


XXXIX 


lead  them  to  see  that  they  are  exchanging  this  birthright 
for  something  of  no  value  when  they  waste  their  time  in 
school,  when  they  neglect  their  duties  as  good  citizens, 
when  they  neglect  their  privileges  as  Church  members, 
the  session  will  have  accomplished  its  object.  Make  it  as 
practical  as  possible. 

Chapter  XV 

Week  Day  Session.  The  Teacher’s  Aim:  To  show  the 
pupils  the  unhappy  results  of  quarreling  in  the  home. 

Begin  the  lesson  by  asking  the  pupils  whether  they 
have  ever  quarreled  with  their  brothers  and  sisters. 
What  was  it  like?  How  did  they  feel?  Then  ask, 
“  Were  you  ever  to  blame  for  the  quarrel?  How  did  you 
feel?”  If  the  pupils  are  honest  in  their  expression,  they 
will  probably  say  that  they  were  unhappy  and  uncom¬ 
fortable.  Then  picture  vividly  the  life  in  the  house  of 
Isaac  and  Rebekah.  Esau  and  Jacob  were  not  friends, 
of  course,  after  Jacob  had  obtained  the  birthright  by 
fraud.  Esau  threatened  to  kill  Jacob,  though  he  did  not 
intend  to  do  this  until  after  Isaac’s  death.  Rebekah,  with 
her  usual  cunning,  planned  to  get  Jacob  out  of  the  way. 
Then  show  Jacob  setting  out  from  the  home,  supposedly 
to  find  a  wife  among  the  relatives  of  Rebekah  in  Paddan- 
aram.  In  bringing  the  lesson  to  a  conclusion,  ask  some 
of  the  pupils  to  read  from  their  notebooks  the  stories  that 
they  have  written,  and  yourself  read  some  modern  story 
of  the  result  of  quarreling  in  the  home,  such  as  the  story 
of  Jo  and  Amy,  in  “  Little  Women.” 

Sunday  Session.  The  Teacher’s  Aim:  To  show  the 
pupils  that  God  cares  for  them  even  when  they  have 
done  wrong,  and  is  willing  to  forgive  them  when  they  are 
sorry  for  their  wrongdoing. 

There  are  many  pictures  1w  famous  artists  which  may 
be  used  in  connection  with  this  lesson,  and  many  poems 
that  refer  to  the  story.  You  may  find  a  study  of  pictures 
interesting,  if  these  are  available.  In  old  Primary  and 
Beginners  Picture  Rolls,  you  may  be  able  to  find  pictures 
of  Jacob  and  Esau,  and  of  Jacob’s  night  under  the  stars. 


xl 


TO  THE  TEACHER 


Other  pictures  may  be  found  in  the  Wilde  and  Perry  col¬ 
lections,  for  the  story  of  Jacob  has  appealed  to  many 
famous  artists.  Those  of  Rubens,  Murillo,  and  Dore  are 
very  famous.  That  of  Rubens  is  described  as  follows : 
“  Those  who  have  seen  Rubens’  great  picture  of  Jacob’s 
ladder  vision  in  Antwerp  Cathedral  will  never  forget  the 
ideal  beauty  of  the  young  patriarch’s  face.  The  painting 
is  a  blaze  of  glorious  light.  The  stone  pillow  shines  like 
a  lamp  of  gold  in  the  radiance.  The  ladder  and  the  angels 
are  marvels  in  design  and  execution.  But  in  the  rapture 
of  the  sleeper’s  face  the  genius  of  the  painter  had  its  chief 
expression.  Think,  then,  of  the  look  on  Jacob’s  face 
when  he  awoke.” 

Poems  and  hymns  which  refer  to  the  lesson  passage 
are  many.  Some  of  them  are  as  follows: 

“  Ladder  of  Saint  Augustine,”  by  Longfellow. 

“  Sandalphon,”  by  Longfellow. 

“  Bethel  Dreamland,"  by  Bonar. 

“  The  Ladder  of  Angels,”  by  Lucy  Larcom. 

“  Jacob’s  Pillow  and  Pillar,’’  by  Conder. 

“  My  Thanks,”  by  Whittier. 

“  The  Vision  of  Eckard,"  by  Whittier. 

“  The  Ploly  Land,”  by  Whittier. 

“  Early  Spring,”  by  Tennyson. 

A  study  of  the  hymn,  “  Nearer,  My  God,  to  Thee,”  is 
however,  the  best  plan  of  introducing  the  lesson  by  means 
of  hymn  study. 

Another  plan  is  to  have  drawn  on  the  blackboard  a 
simple  outline  ladder.  Tell  the  pupils  that  this  ladder  is 
a  picture  of  the  way  in  which  we  must  try  to  reach 
heaven.  We  must  climb  ;  that  is,  we  must  do  our  very 
best  in  the  world.  But  God  will  help  us  as  we  climb. 
He  is  watching  over  us  and  sending  us  his  messages 
which  will  help  us.  As  we  learn  to  be  loving  and  un¬ 
selfish  and  kind  ;  as  we  learn  to  love  Jesus  Christ  better, 
we  climb  higher  and  higher  on  the  ladder.  And  God 
watches  us  and  helps  us  with  every  step  that  we  rise. 
He  cares  for  us.  He  is  with  us,  and  watches  over  us 
everywhere.  (Memory  Verse.) 

Expressional  Session.  The  Teacher’s  Aim:  To  help 


TO  THE  TEACHER 


xli 


the  pupils  in  their  expression  of  their  knowledge  that 
Jesus  Christ  is  the  Way,  the  Truth,  and  the  Life. 

With  this  lesson  the  point  of  view  is  somewhat  changed 
from  that  in  the  Sunday  Session.  Here  we  must  en¬ 
deavor  to  lead  the  pupils  to  see  and  to  express  the  fact 
that  since  the  birth  and  life  and  resurrection  of  Jesus,  we 
have  a  Way  to  heaven  that  is  far  better  than  the  way 
which  Jacob  had  known,  even  as  that  was  far  better  than 
the  way  of  his  heathen  neighbors.  Some  of  the  hymns 
and  poems  suggested  in  connection  with  the  Sunday  Ses¬ 
sion  may  well  be  used  here,  particularly  the  verses, 
“  Jesus  That  Ladder  Is,”  which  are  printed  in  the  pupil’s 
lesson. 


Chapter  XVI 

Week  Day  Session.  The  Teacher’s  Aim:  To  give  to 
the  pupils  the  main  facts  of  the  life  of  Jacob  between  his 
arrival  at  Haran  and  his  departure.  To  show  that  he  was 
really  punished  for  his  sin,  and  that  during  the  years  of 
training  he  won  the  privilege  of  carrying  out  God’s 
promise  to  Abraham. 

This  lesson  will  give  you  an  opportunity  to  explain 
several  Oriental  manners  and  customs  to  your  pupils. 
For  instance,  in  talking  of  Jacob’s  arrival  at  Haran,  you 
may  speak  of  the  value  of  a  well  of  water  in  the  East ; 
tell  that  it  is  often  private  property,  belonging,  perhaps, 
in  this  case  to  Laban.  Speak  of  the  story  of  Isaac  and 
the  wells,  Genesis  26 :12-33,  and  remind  the  class  that 
Abraham's  servant  met  Rebekah,  Jacob’s  mother,  at  a 
well  in  or  near  Haran. 

Rachel  had  charge  of  her  father's  flocks,  and  this  indi¬ 
cates  another  curious  fact — that  in  the  East  women  fre¬ 
quently  ha\Te  charge  of  great  herds  of  sheep  and  cattle. 
Read  the  selection  given  in  the  pupil’s  lesson  regarding 
this  custom. 

Oriental  marriage  customs,  too,  may  be  discussed.  In 
many  parts  of  the  East  it  is  still  common  to  find  that  the 
oldest  daughter  must  be  married  before  the  vounger  are 
alloAved  to  do  so.  The  custom  of  serving  for  a  wife,  too, 
is  common  in  the  East,  when  no  money  is  paid  to  the 
father.  The  marriage  money,  or  service,  is  supposed  to 


xlii 


TO  THE  TEACHER 


be  given  in  return  for  the  daughter’s  service  to  her 
father.  Touch  briefly  upon  the  custom  of  having  several 
wives  at  the  same  time,  which  was  usual  in  Old  Testa¬ 
ment  times. 

It  is  important  for  your  pupils  to  learn  the  names  of 
Jacob’s  twelve  sons,  whose  names  will  occur  frequently 
in  the  Joseph  lessons,  and  later  as  the  ancestors  of  the 
people  of  Israel,  who  gave  their  names  to  the  twelve 
tribes.  Time  spent  in  this  memorization  will  not  be 
wasted.  In  the  Tissot  Bible  there  will  be  found  several 
pictures  to  use  with  this  lesson.  — ■ 

Sunday  Session.  The  Teacher’s  Aim:  To  help  the 
pupils  to  see  how  Jacob  conquered  himself,  and  how  they 
may  conquer  themselves. 

Begin  your  lesson  with  Dore’s  picture  of  Jacob  wrest¬ 
ling  with  the  angel.  Show  how  he  fought  a  hard  fight 
with  himself  before  he  won  the  victory,  and  that  on  his 
meeting  with  Esau  he  showed  that  he  had  won  out,  that 
he  was  now  no  longer  Jacob,  “  the  supplanter,”  but 
Israel,  “  a  prince  with  God.” 

Your  pupils  will  have  many  battles  to  fight  with  them¬ 
selves,  as  Jacob  had  ;  they  must  conquer  themselves  as 
he  did,  before  they  win  God’s  best  blessing.  This  is  the 
lesson  that  we  want  the  pupils  to  carry  home  with  them 
from  the  Sunday  Session,  as  well  as  the  story  of  the 
meeting  of  Jacob  and  Esau,  after  their  long  separation. 
Have  some  of  the  pupils  read  their  notebook  stories. 

Expressional  Session.  The  Teacher’s  Aim:  To  lead 
the  pupils  to  see  their  part  in  settling  any  quarrels  which 
may  come  between  themselves  and  their  companions. 

In  this  lesson  the  pupils  should  be  ready  to  express 
themselves  in  regard  to  quarrels  with  their  companions. 
They  should  be  brought  to  see  that  even  if  they  are  sure 
they  are  in  the  right  of  the  case,  there  is  something  for 
them  to  do — they  have  a  part  in  settling  the  quarrel.  If 
they  are  in  the  wrong,  they  have  so  much  the  more  to 
be  responsible  for.  Lead  them  to  see  that  even  though 
they  may  think  they  are  in  the  right,  they  will  please 
God  by  taking  the  first  step  toward  reconciliation. 

Some  of  the  Topics  for  Discussion  given  with  this  les¬ 
son  are  rather  in  the  nature  of  a  review  of  the  work  of 


TO  THE  TEACHER 


xliii 


the  entire  week.  Give  the  pupils  a  chance  to  discuss 
these  topics  if  time  permits,  but  try  to  lead  them  to  ex¬ 
press  their  own  thoughts  in  regard  to  the  subjects 
assigned. 


Chapter  XVII 

Week  Day  Session.  The  Teacher's  Aim:  To  give  to 
the  pupils  a  geographical  and  historical  background  for 
the  stories  of  Joseph  and  of  Moses. 

There  is  so  much  material  for  reference  in  connection 
with  any  lesson  dealing  with  Egypt  that  you  will  have 
no  difficulty  in  obtaining  more  information  than  you  can 
possibly  use.  If  you  live  in  a  large  city  where  there  is  a 
museum  containing  a  collection  of  Egyptian  antiquities, 
you  can  give  your  pupils  a  wonderful  background  by 
taking  them  to  visit  this  place.  Then  you  can  look  over 
the  books  about  Egypt  to  be  found  in  your  public  library 
and  add  to  your  store  of  information  about  the  country. 
Use  the  sand  table  and  the  blackboard  for  map  work, 
copying  the  map  given  on  page  182. 

Pictures  of  Egypt  may  be  obtained  in  many  of  the 
current  National  Geographic  magazines,  or  old  numbers 
may  be  obtained  in  the  libraries.  Ask  the  pupils  to  bring 
to  class  any  objects  of  interest  from  the  country  which  is 
the  background  for  our  next  lessons  on  Joseph  and  on 
Moses.  There  are  many  books  which  deal  particularly 
with  the  relations  of  Egypt  and  Palestine.  Some  of  these 
are : 

“  Archaeology  and  the  Bible,”  by  Barton. 

“  From  the  Nile  to  Nebo,”  by  Hoskins. 

“  Egypt  and  Israel,”  by  Petrie. 

“  Explorations  in  Bible  Lands  During  the  Nineteenth 
Century,”  by  Hilprecht. 

Sunday  Session.  The  Teacher’s  Aim:  To  impress  upon 
the  pupils  the  trustworthiness  of  Joseph  the  boy  and 
to  inspire  in  them  the  desire  to  show  themselves 
trustworthy. 

Begin  the  lesson  with  an  account  of  the  life  of  Jacob 
between  the  time  of  his  arrival  in  Palestine  and  the  time 
of  the  lesson.  Ten  years  had  passed.  He  had  settled  in 


xliv 


TO  THE  TEACHER 


Hebron.  The  old  father,  Isaac,  had  died  at  the  age  of 
a  hundred  and  eighty  years,  and  had  been  buried  by  the 
two  sons.  Rachel,  too,  was  dead.  Benjamin,  the  young¬ 
est  son  in  the  family,  must  have  been  about  ten  years  old, 
and  Joseph  was  seventeen.  Have  the  pupils  review 
briefly  the  names  of  Jacob’s  sons.  Then  ask  which  they 
like  best.  Ask  them  to  think  about  this  question  during 
the  lesson  period. 

Try  to  impress  the  value  of  trustworthiness  in  carry¬ 
ing  out  not  only  the  letter  but  the  spirit  of  any  errand 
which  they  are  asked  to  do.  Ask  for  examples  of  such 
trustworthiness.  Ask  them  what  they  think  of  the  boy 
who  stood  on  the  burning  deck.  He  obeyed  the  letter  of 
his  father’s  command,  but  not  the  spirit.  Would  he  have 
been  a  trustworthy  messenger  as  Joseph  was,  or  would 
he  have  gone  to  Shechem  and  then  turned  back?  Bring 
out  the  lesson  that  to  be  really  trustworthy  as  Joseph 
was,  it  is  necessary  to  do  our  very  best  to  carry  out  the 
wishes  of  those  to  whom  our  obedience  is  due.  Particu¬ 
larly  we  should  carry  out  God's  wishes  to  the  best  of  our 
ability,  trying  to  find  out  by  prayer  and  by  reading  his 
Word,  what  those  commands  for  us  are. 

Expressional  Session.  The  Teacher’s  Aim:  To  show 
the  necessity  of  courage  in  doing  right. 

The  Sunday  Session  has  tried  to  impress  the  lesson  of 
the  value  of  trustworthiness.  During  this  session,  lead 
the  pupils  to  see  that  though  such  trustworthiness  is 
often  hard  to  attain,  God  will  help  those  who  really  try 
to  be  trustworthy,  and  will  give  them  aid  in  doing  what 
they  ought  to  do,  in  spite  of  danger  or  ridicule  or  diffi¬ 
culty  of  any  kind. 

Many  good  missionary  stories  dealing  with  this  theme 
may  be  found.  Look  over  the  missionary  lessons  given 
in  the  first  year  of  this  series,  and  find  there  some  avail¬ 
able  stories. 


Chapter  XVIII 

Week  Day  Session.  The  Teacher’s  Aim:  To  make 
vivid  in  the  minds  of  the  pupils  the  story  of  the  life  of 
Joseph  in  Egypt. 

Try  to  make  clear  in  the  minds  of  your  pupils  the  close- 


TO  THE  TEACHER 


xlv 


ness  of  the  connection  between  Israel  and  Egypt  at  this 
time.  In  our  next  lesson  we  have  the  trips  of  Joseph’s 
brothers  back  and  forth,  and  the  expedition  of  the  old 
father,  Jacob.  After  you  have  made  this  connection  you 
will  find  that  you  have  prepared  a  good  background  for 
the  lesson  on  Moses  and  the  wilderness  wanderings. 

Pictures  of  modern  caravans  may  be  found  to  use  with 
this  lesson.  In  Petrie’s  “  Egypt  and  Israel  ”  (frontis¬ 
piece)  is  seen  a  picture  of  an  ancient  party  of  travelers. 
In  Barton’s  “  Archaeology  and  the  Bible,”  too,  you  will 
find  pictures  of  Semitic  travelers  arriving  in  Egypt,  which 
will  be  most  interesting  to  your  class.  Perhaps  you  can 
find  in  a  National  Geographic  Magazine  the  account  of  a 
modern  caravan  trip  across  the  desert.  The  children  will 
always  delight  in  this. 

Have  as  many  Egyptian  pictures  and  curios  on  hand  as 
you  can  obtain.  You  might  ask  the  pupils  to  bring 
samples  of  Egyptian  products,  such  as  dates,  cotton, 
wheat.  The  wonderful  small  models,  showing  Egyptian 
life,  which  were  recently  discovered  by  archaeologists  and 
which  are  exhibited  in  the  Metropolitan  Museum,  New 
York,  are  exceedingly  interesting.  Pictures  of  them  have 
been  given  in  various  papers  or  magazines,  for  instance  in 
Forward,  November  23,  1921. 

Sunday  Session.  The  Teacher’s  Aim:  To  show  how 
Joseph’s  helpfulness  and  faithfulness  brought  him  favor 
with  God  and  men,  and  how  the  same  good  characteristics 
will  help  them  in  their  own  lives. 

Tell  of  Joseph's  coming  into  Potiphar’s  home,  and  of 
his  life  there.  Mayer  says  of  this :  He  would  no  doubt 
live  in  a  splendid  palace,  covered  with  hieroglyphs  and 
filled  with  slaves.  The  young  captive,  accustomed  to  the 
tendernesses  of  his  simple  and  well-beloved  home,  must 
have  trembled  as  he  passed  up  the  pillared  avenue, 
through  the  sphinx-guarded  gates. 

Here,  of  course,  temptations  to  fall  into  the  luxurious 
ways  of  his  masters  were  great.  He  was  alone  in  a 
strange  land,  and  there  would  naturally  be  temptation  to 
forget  the  true  God,  and  to  fall  into  the  worship  of  the 
Egyptian  gods.  But  he  resisted  all  temptation  and  God 
saw  his  faithfulness,  Genesis  39  :23b,  and  blessed  him  so 


xlvi 


TO  THE  TEACHER 


that  he  soon  rose  in  power  and  authority.  Geikie  tells 
us  that  every  great  Egyptian  family  had  a  slave  thus 
placed  over  all  the  rest,  and  indeed,  Joseph,  after  his  ele¬ 
vation,  had  such  a  major-domo.  Wherever  grain  is  be¬ 
ing  measured,  or  metal  weighed,  or  building  or  agricul¬ 
tural  work  is  going  forward,  the  paintings  show  us  the 
head  overseer  of  the  household  with  a  short  rod  in  his 
hand,  or  with  a  writing  tablet  in  his  hand  and  a  pen  be¬ 
hind  his  ear,  to  take  down  the  number  of  sheaves,  or  of 
carts,  or  of  the  cattle  or  flocks. 

Touch  lightly  upon  the  false  accusation  of  Joseph,  and 
then  tell  fully  of  his  rise  in  position  in  prison,  as  he  had 
risen  in  Potiphar’s  house.  Emphasize  over  and  over 
again  the  faithfulness  of  Joseph,  and  bring  out  the  ne¬ 
cessity  of  faithfulness  and  helpfulness  in  their  own  lives. 

Expressional  Session.  The  Teacher’s  Aim:  To  lead  the 
pupils  to  express  their  own  ideas  on  the  importance  of 
faithfulness  and  helpfulness  in  their  own  lives. 

Pictures  to  Use  with  the  Lesson 

Joseph  in  Prison,  by  Schadow. 

Joseph  Sold  Into  Egypt,  by  Dore. 

Joseph  in  Prison  (Artist  unknown,  Wilde  Collection  of 
Bible  Pictures,  Number  171?). 

In  Sly’s  “  World  Stories  Retold  ”  you  will  find  classi¬ 
fied  stories  of  wisdom  and  faithfulness  to  be  used  with 
this  lesson. 


Chapter  XIX 

Week  Day  Session.  The  Teacher’s  Aim:  To  give  to 
the  pupils  the  story  of  Joseph  before  Pharaoh,  and  to  im¬ 
press  the  fact  that  God  was  watching  over  him  in  all  his 
difficulties. 

There  are  many  pictures  which  may  be  used  in  connec¬ 
tion  with  this  lesson  to  be  found  in  the  collections  of 
Primary  pictures.  Among  these  are 

Joseph  Before  Pharaoh,  by  Dore; 

Fffiaraoh’s  Dream,  by  Raphael ; 

Joseph  Interpreting  Pharaoh's  Dream,  several  paint¬ 
ings  by  La  Tometo,  Raphael,  and  Romano. 


TO  THE  TEACHER 


xlvii 


The  story  itself  is  so  interesting  to  your  pupils  that 
little  extra  material  is  necessary.  You  will  find  that  they 
will  enjoy  acting  it  out.  Have  one  pupil  read  the  part  of 
Pharaoh  ;  another  that  of  the  chief  butler ;  another  that 
of  Joseph,  with  as  many  wise  men  and  courtiers  as  you 
please.  Supply  a  few  simple  properties.  Tell  the  pupils 
that  the  Egyptians  were  most  particular  about  purifica¬ 
tions  and  that  shaving,  Genesis  41 : IT,  was  an  important 
rite.  The  queer-looking  beards  shown  in  many  of  the 
pictures  of  Egyptians  were  artificial.  Have  a  gold  chain 
and  a  signet  ring,  (perhaps  made  of  gilt  paper)  which 
Pharaoh  may  present  to  Joseph.  A  chair  will  serve  as  a 
throne.  Many  dramatizations  of  the  story  of  Joseph  will 
be  found  in  the  books  of  dramatization  mentioned  earlier 
in  these  lessons,  but  if  you  do  not  care  to  use  them,  the 
pupils  will  enjoy  working  out  their  own  action. 

Sunday  Session.  The  Teacher's  Aim:  To  show  how 
God’s  blessing  rested  on  Joseph  and  will  rest  on  your 
pupils  if  they  try  to  do  his  will. 

In  teaching  this  lesson  emphasize  first  the  success  that 
came  to  Joseph,  and  his  power  in  Egypt.  What  gave  him 
that  success?  It  was  God’s  blessing,  the  blessing  which 
had  been  the  secret  of  Abraham’s  success,  Genesis  24:35; 
of  Isaac's  success,  Genesis  26:28,  29;  of  Jacob’s  success, 
Genesis  33  :11.  Joseph  was  loyal  to  God,  and  God  blessed 
him.  Genesis  39  :2,  3,  21-23  ;  41 :38.  He  did  not  hide  the 
fact  that  he  was  the  follower  of  God.  He  attributed  all 
his  success  to  that  fact. 

The  pupils  should  be  led  to  see  that  true  success  will 
come  to  them,  too,  through  loyalty  to  God  and  trust  in 
him.  Joseph  was  a  statesman.  Ask  for  the  name  of 
some  great  modern  statesmen  who  have  been  true  fol¬ 
lowers  of  God,  and  not  afraid  to  say  so.  Mention  Lincoln, 
for  instance,  and  Gladstone,  and  McKinley.  All  knew 
that  God  was  with  them  and  helping  them  in  their  work 
for  the  world. 

Expressional  Session.  The  Teacher’s  Aim :  To  lead  the 
pupils  to  know  and  to  express  the  knowledge  that  God 
wants  them  to  do  well  their  duties  as  Juniors,  so  that  they 
may  learn  in  this  way  to  be  ready  for  the  opportunities 
of  the  future. 


xlviii 


TO  THE  TEACHER 


If  you  look  over  any  of  the  collections  of  stories,  such 
as  Sly’s,  or  Egglestone’s,  you  will  find  stories  that  may 
be  used  in  connection  with  this  lesson.  There  are  many 
stories  in  current  magazines,  too,  which  will  bring  before 
your  pupils  present-day  examples  of  being  ready,  when 
the  chance  comes. 

Perhaps  you  may  prefer  to  use  part  of  the  period  in  re¬ 
viewing  the  story  of  Joseph  so  far  as  we  have  gone.  This 
will  serve  the  purpose  of  the  lesson  well,  for  it  will  bring 
out  the  fact  that  Joseph  was  always  ready;  that  he  was 
ready  to  listen  to  God  and  ready  also  to  do ;  that  he  was 
a  doer  as  well  as  a  hearer  of  God’s  Word. 

Chapter  XX 

Week  Day  Session.  The  Teacher’s  Aim:  To  prepare 
the  way  for  the  lesson  of  the  Sunday  Session  on  for¬ 
giveness. 

Picture  as  vividly  as  possible  the  scene  of  Joseph  in  the 
palace.  The  town  house  of  the  wealthy  Egyptian  was 
really  very  large.  There  would  be  a  great  vestibule,  with 
an  anteroom  where  a  porter  sat.  Then  came  a  huge  din¬ 
ing  hall,  the  most  important  room  in  the  house.  This  is 
described  by  Erman  in  “  Life  in  Ancient  Egypt  ”  as 
follows : 

“  The  large  dining  table  stands  in  the  middle,  covered 
with  dishes,  bowls  of  fruit,  and  loaves  of  bread ;  roast 
meat  and  other  articles  of  food  are  placed  upon  smaller 
tables ;  there  are  also  flowers  and  gay  necklets.  ...  In 
the  back  of  the  hall  a  row  of  immense  wine  jars  is  built 
into  the  wall.  On  either  side  of  the  table  stand  one  or 
two  arm-chairs,  and  close  to  one  of  them  is  a  basin  with 
a  jug  of  water;  evidently  the  present  Oriental  custom  of 
pouring  water  over  the  hands  is  no  modern  innovation. ” 

Back  of  the  dining  room  was  a  small  court  with  the 
sleeping  room  of  the  master  on  one  side  and  the  kitchens 
and  storerooms  on  the  other.  Still  farther  back  were  the 
rooms  of  the  women  of  the  household  and  the  gardens. 
All  the  house  would  be  richly  furnished  and  there  were 
numerous  attendants. 

Picture  the  ten  brothers  as  they  were  shown  before 


TO  THE  TEACHER 


xlix 


Joseph,  the  ruler,  in  such  a  home  as  this.  Make  as  vivid 
as  possible  Joseph's  feeling  toward  them.  The  pupils 
will  enjoy  the  story  just  as  it  is  given  in  the  Bible. 

Pictures  to  Use  with  the  Lesson 

The  Cup  in  Benjamin’s  Sack,  by  Guerchino. 

Joseph  Selling  Corn,  by  Barth. 

Joseph  Making  Himself  Known  to  His  Brethren,  by 
Ghiberti,  Memling,  Dore. 

Work  on  a  class  poster  such  as  that  suggested  in  the 
pupil’s  lesson  will  prove  interesting. 

Sunday  Session.  The  Teacher’s  Aim  :  To  teach  a  les¬ 
son  on  forgiveness. 

Begin  the  lesson  with  a  modern  story  of  forgiveness, 
such  as  that  of  a  girl  who  borrows  her  sister's  bracelet 
without  asking  for  it,  and  loses  it.  Do  the  pupils  think 
that  the  girl  who  borrowed  the  bracelet  would  be  sorry? 
M  ould  she  feel  worse  than  if  she  had  asked  for  the  brace¬ 
let  and  then  lost  it?  Discuss  her  attitude  and  then  ask, 
What  should  the  second  sister  do?  Of  course  she  should 
forgive  her  sister,  who  was  really  sorry.  Then  show  that 
this  was  Joseph's  attitude.  He  wanted  to  see  if  his 
brothers  were  really  sorry  for  what  they  had  done  to  him. 
When  he  found  that  they  were  repentant,  he  forgave 
them. 

Show  how  Joseph,  though  he  lived  more  than  fifteen 
hundred  years  before  Christ,  acted  in  a  Christlike  way. 
Show  that  we  who  live  nearly  two  thousand  years  later, 
and  who  know  much  better  what  Jesus  would  have  us  do, 
should  act  in  the  way  that  Jesus  would  approve,  lovingly 
and  forgivingly  when  the  opportunity  comes. 

Close  with  hymns  about  forgiveness,  such  as  some  of 
those  mentioned  in  the  Expressional  Session. 

Expressional  Session.  The  Teacher’s  Aim:  To  lead  the 
pupils  to  express  a  desire  to  do  good  to  those  who  have 
harmed  them. 

Make  this  lesson  a  review  lesson,  as  well  as  a  practical 
lesson  on  the  subject.  Put  on  the  blackboard  the  word 
“  Joseph.”  Ask  the  pupils  to  supply  words  that  will 
characterize  Joseph's  attitude  which  begin  with  the  let¬ 
ters  of  his  name, 


1 


TO  THE  TEACHER 


J  ust  in  his  treatment  of  his  brothers. 

O  bedient  to  his  father. 

S  ensible  in  his  plans  for  the  famine. 

E  arnest  in  doing  his  best  for  everyone. 

P  atient  in  waiting  for  God's  will  to  be  carried  out. 

H  onest  in  his  business  relations. 

The  pupils  may  supply  other  adjectives  and  you  may 
develop  several  acrostics.  Use  only  the  best,  and  have 
the  pupils  put  them  in  their  notebooks. 

Chapter  XXI 

Week  Day  Session.  The  Teacher’s  Aim:  To  help  the 
children  to  visualize  the  story  of  Joseph  and  his  brothers 
so  that  they  may  dramatize  this  final  lesson  on  his  life. 

A  suggestion  for  dramatization  is  given,  but  it  will 
perhaps  be  better  if  you  do  not  follow  this  too  closely. 
Let  the  pupils  add  to  the  story  as  they  will. 

Costumes  may  be  made  very  simply  by  following  the 
directions  given  for  the  costumes  of  the  patriarchs  in 
Part  I  of  this  year’s  work,  page  32.  For  Pharaoh  add  a 
royal  headdress,  and  a  silk  girdle.  For  the  headdress 
copy  the  picture  given  in  connection  with  the  pupil’s 
lesson.  It  may  be  made  of  heavy  paper.  An  Egyptian 
touch  may  be  added  to  the  scene  by  having  the  attend¬ 
ants  carry  fans,  decorated  with  the  lotus  design,  given  on 
page  191.  These  should  have  handles  perhaps  five  feet 
long.  The  children  will  enjoy  preparing  these  and  dec¬ 
orating  them  with  gaudy  reds,  yellows,  and  blues  such 
as  are  found  in  Egyptian  decorations. 

Several  descriptions  of  Pharaoh’s  palace  and  of  Joseph’s 
home  are  given  in  connection  with  the  pupils’  lessons, 
and  these  will  supply  hints  which  may  be  carried  out  as 
far  as  your  resources  make  it  possible. 

Sunday  Session.  The  Teacher’s  Aim:  To  give  to  the 
pupils  a  description  of  the  last  days  of  Jacob's  and 
Joseph’s  lives  and  to  inspire  in  them  a  desire  to  follow 
the  good  example  set  by  these  old  patriarchs. 

In  this  session  and  the  Expressional  Session,  you  will 
have  an  opportunity  to  review  the  lessons  on  Joseph,  and 
incidentally  to  tell  something  of  Jacob.  Review  the 


TO  THE  TEACHER 


li 


names  of  Jacob’s  sons,  as  given  in  Genesis,  chapter  49. 
Show  how  he  gave  to  Joseph’s  sons  a  double  portion  of 
his  estate,  so  that  their  names  are  found  among  the 
founders  of  the  twelve  tribes  of  Israel  while  the  names 
of  Simeon,  whose  sons  were  to  be  scattered,  Genesis 
49 :5-7,  was  omitted.  Deuteronomy,  chapter  33.  So  it 
was  that  the  twelve  tribes  of  Israel  did  not  exactly  cor¬ 
respond  with  the  names  of  Jacob’s  sons. 

Use  all  the  pictures  that  you  have  collected  in  connec¬ 
tion  with  this  lesson,  and  let  your  pupils  choose  stories 
to  tell. 

Expressional  Session.  The  Teacher’s  Aim:  To  review 
the  stories  about  Joseph,  and  to  impress  upon  the  pupils 
the  value  of  trust  in  God. 

Review  the  stories  of  Joseph,  using  the  topics  sug¬ 
gested  in  the  pupil’s  lesson.  Make  the  lesson  practical, 
pointing  out  where  the  pupils  may  follow  Joseph’s  ex¬ 
ample.  Use  modern  incidents  to  show  men  who  have 
done  this. 

Stories  to  be  used  in  connection  with  this  lesson  may 
be  found  in  “  Men  Who  Made  Good,”  by  John  T.  Paris. 


Chapter  XXII 

Week  Day  Session.  The  Teacher’ s  Aim:  To  show  the 
pupils  how  and  why  there  was  a  change  in  the  treatment 
of  the  Children  of  Israel  in  Egypt  between  the  days  of 
Joseph  and  of  Moses. 

The  period  of  the  sojourn  of  the  Children  of  Israel  in 
Egypt  was  approximately  four  hundred  years.  They 
were  well  treated  during  the  lifetime  of  Joseph,  and  as 
long  as  the  memory  of  what  he  had  done  for  Egypt  re¬ 
mained  in  mind.  Joseph  lived  to  be  one  hundred  and  ten 
years  old.  As  he  must  have  been  about  forty  when  Jacob 
and  his  family  came  to  Egypt,  this  leaves  at  least  a  period 
of  seventy  years  before  the  Egyptians  “  forgot  him.” 

But  a  new  dynasty  came  into  power.  About  two  hun¬ 
dred  and  sixty  years  passed,  and  the  Children  of  Israel 
were  oppressed  and  mistreated.  It  was  four  hundred 
years,  however,  before  they  were  really  led  out  of  Egypt. 

Ramses  II,  the  Pharaoh  of  the  Oppression,  was  a  well- 


lii 


TO  THE  TEACHER 


known  figure  in  secular  history.  His  mummy  has  been 
preserved,  and  is  in  the  museum  at  Cairo.  You  can  find 
much  information  about  him  in  almost  any  book  about 
Egypt.  A  book  which  will  help  you  much  in  your  study 
of  the  time  is  Rawlinson’s  “  Moses,  His  Life  and  Times,” 
in  the  “  Men  of  the  Bible  ”  series.  If  this  volume  is 
available  it  would  be  well  for  you  to  read  it. 

Sunday  Session.  The  Teacher’s  Aim:  To  show  how 
God  cares  through  human  agents  for  those  who  do  his 
work  in  the  world. 

Make  as  vivid  as  possible  the  picture  of  the  home  life 
of  Moses’  family — the  father,  Amram  ;  the  mother  Joche- 
bed,  Exodus  6:20;  the  sister  and  brother,  Miriam  and 
Aaron.  Though  we  do  not  know  Miriam’s  age  from  the 
Bible,  it  is  judged  that  she  was  eight  or  nine  years  older 
than  Moses.  Aaron  was  three  years  older,  Exodus  7  :7, 
born  before  the  decree  for  the  destruction  of  the  Hebrew 
boy  babies.  Show  that  the  God  of  Israel  was  truly  wor¬ 
shiped  in  this  household.  Then  picture  the  princess  and 
the  royal  palace.  Show  what  a  change  the  adoption  of 
the  baby  brought  in  his  life,  and  how  God  provided  in 
this  way  for  his  training  and  education.  God  was  pro¬ 
viding  for  his  people  in  providing  a  leader  who  was  in¬ 
structed  in  all  the  wisdom  and  learning  of  the  Egyptians. 

There  are  many  pictures  of  the  baby  Moses  which  you 
can  use  with  this  lesson.  The  following  may  be  found 
in  the  Wilde  collection : 

Moses  Saved  from  the  Waters  of  the  Nile,  by  Paul 
Veronese. 

Moses  and  the  Daughter  of  Pharaoh,  by  Dore. 

Finding  of  Moses,  by  Paul  Delaroche. 

Moses  Exposed  on  the  Nile,  by  Dore. 

Expressional  Session.  The  Teacher’s  Aim  :  To  lead  the 
pupils  to  feel  and  to  express  the  feeling  that  they  can  be 
God’s  helpers. 

Several  examples  of  Bible  Juniors  who  were  God’s 
helpers  are  given  in  the  lesson  material.  Others  might 
be  mentioned — Paul’s  nephew,  Acts  23 :16-21,  for  in¬ 
stance ;  the  little  King  Joash,  II  Kings  11:5-7;  the  boy 
with  the  loaves  and  the  fishes,  John  6  :8-12.  Show  that 
often  God  uses  children  to  help  on  in  his  work.  Try  to 


TO  THE  TEACHER 


liii 


make  the  main  discussion  practical — how  Juniors  to-day 
can  be  God's  helpers,  and  emphasize  particularly  Mat¬ 
thew  25  :18-40. 


Chapter  XXIII 

Week  Day  Session.  The  Teacher’s  Aim :  To  show  how 
Moses  made  the  choice  to  help  his  own  people  rather  than 
to  enjoy  all  the  pleasures  and  the  luxuries  of  Egyptian 
court  life. 

Read  carefully  the  three  accounts  of  Moses,  given  in 
Exodus,  chapters  2,  3;  Acts  7:20-36;  Hebrews  11:23-28, 
to  make  clear  in  your  own  mind  the  choice  of  the  young 
man. 

Begin  the  lesson  by  impressing  again  upon  the  minds  of 
your  pupils  the  position  of  Moses  in  the  court  of  Pharaoh. 
Show  how  luxurious  his  life  would  be.  Then  tell  simply 
how  his  conscience  was  stirred,  how  he  went  out  into  the 
part  of  the  country  where  the  people  of  his  own  race  were 
employed,  working  in  the  clay  pits,  or  on  the  great  build¬ 
ings  which  Ramses  II  was  constructing.  Then  tell  how 
he  made  the  great  decision  to  take  the  part  of  his  own 
people.  He  was  not  wise  in  his  first  steps.  He  won  the 
dislike  of  both  sides,  and  had  to  escape  from  the  land  to 
a  place  where  he  might  receive  still  further  training  for 
his  life  work. 

Speak  of  modern  men  and  women  who  have  made  simi¬ 
lar  choices.  Florence  Nightingale  is  a  good  example. 
She  was  the  daughter  of  a  rich  man ;  she  might  have 
spent  her  life  in  luxury  ;  but  she  gave  up  her  home,  her 
wealth,  her  health,  to  become  the  “  angel  of  the  lamp  ” 
to  the  soldiers  in  the  Crimean  War.  Tell  of  Henry 
Martyn,  too,  who  was  considered  one  of  the  most  bril¬ 
liant  men  who  ever  graduated  from  Cambridge.  He  re¬ 
fused  to  become  a  minister  because  he  could  not  “  con¬ 
sent  to  be  poor  for  Christ's  sake,’'  but  at  last  he  felt  the 
call  to  become  a  missionary  too  deeply  to  resist  it,  and  he 
went  to  India,  and  later  to  Persia  where  he  spent  the  re¬ 
mainder  of  his  short  but  brilliant  life.  The  brother  of 
Horace  Underwood,  the  missionary  to  Korea,  was  the 
manufacturer  of  the  Underwood  typewriter.  In  speaking 
of  his  brilliant  brother  he  said  that  he  could  afiford  to  pay 


liv 


TO  THE  TEACHER 


the  missionary  board  salary  enough  to  support  six  mis¬ 
sionaries  in  Korea,  if  he  would  have  stayed  in  America 
and  entered  his  business.  He  would  have  been  a  leader 
wherever  he  spent  his  life. 

So  modern  men  and  women  make  a  choice  as  Moses 
made  it,  to  serve  God  rather  than  their  own  comfort. 

Sunday  Session.  The  Teacher’s  Aim:  To  show  that 
God  was  preparing  Moses  in  the  wilderness  for  his  work 
in  the  world.  To  help  the  pupils  to  see,  also,  that  God 
calls  his  people  to  his  service. 

Introduce  the  lesson  with  a  modern  story  of  some  one 
who  has  thought  himself  unfit  for  the  service  to  which 
he  has  been  called,  but  later  found  that  he  was  fit — for 
instance,  it  is  said  that  when  George  Washington  was 
given  command  of  the  armies  of  the  Colonies  by  the 
Continental  Congress,  he  rushed  from  the  hall  because 
he  feared  that  he  was  not  capable  to  assume  the  respon¬ 
sibility.  To  many  men,  both  great  and  small,  the  call  to 
service  comes  as  a  surprise.  They  have  been  preparing 
in  their  ordinary,  everyday  lives  without  a  realizing  sense 
of  what  is  in  store  for  them.  God’s  call  comes  unexpect¬ 
edly,  as  it  came  to  Moses. 

Make  vivid  the  scene  of  the  burning  bush.  Show  that 
it  was,  and  still  is,  a  custom  of  Orientals  to  remove  their 
shoes  when  they  approach  a  holy  place.  The  Moslems 
still  do  this  on  entering  a  mosque. 

Speak  of  God’s  call  to  Moses,  and  his  call  to  all  his 
people  of  the  world,  making  a  strong  Decision  Day  ap¬ 
peal,  that  if  the  pupils  have  not  yet  decided  to  follow 
Jesus,  they  will  do  so. 

Expressional  Session.  The  Teacher’s  Aim:  To  lead  the 
pupils  to  express  a  desire  to  follow  Christ. 

Make  this  service  a  Decision  Day  Service  if  possible. 
Show  your  pupils  that  God  is  calling  each  one  of  them 
to  service  as  he  called  Moses  and  Jeremiah  and  Samuel 
and  Isaiah  and  many  others  who  may  be  named.  God 
wants  them  to  decide  to  serve  him  now,  when  they  are 
Juniors.  Statistics  tell  us  that  it  is  at  this  age  that  a  great 
number  of  decisions  for  Christ  are  made.  Help  the  chil¬ 
dren  to  express  themselves,  and  to  formulate  their  desire 
to  follow  Christ.  Show  them  how,  though  Moses  hesi- 


TO  THE  TEACHER 


Iv 


tated,  he  answered  God’s  call,  and  tell  of  modern  choices 
such  as  those  made  by  Florence  Nightingale  and  Henry 
Martyn  who  gave  up  lives  of  ease  for  the  service  of  God. 

Chapter  XXIV 

Week  Day  Session.  The  Teacher’s  Aim:  To  give  to 
the  pupils  the  historic  background  of  the  lessons. 

Begin  the  lesson  with  a  modern  story  of  some  one  who 
at  first  hesitated  to  assume  responsibilities,  but  who  made 
a  success  of  what  he  did  finally  take  upon  himself.  Lin¬ 
coln,  for  instance,  hesitated  to  run  for  the  office  of  Presi¬ 
dent ;  Queen  Victoria  was  very  doubtful  about  her  ability, 
when,  while  still  a  young  girl,  she  became  queen.  Many 
a  Junior  has  hesitated  about  accepting  an  office  which 
was  offered  to  him — the  leadership  of  the  Expressional 
Session,  perhaps,  or  even  the  captaincy  of  his  school  ball 
team.  Show  that  modesty  such  as  this  is  often  character¬ 
istic  of  those  who  later  become  leaders.  Leadership  is 
much  needed  in  the  world  nowadays,  and  it  will  be  a  very 
good  lesson  for  some  of  your  pupils  if  you  can  show  them 
how  many  really  great  men  have  been  diffident  about 
their  own  powers,  and  hesitant  about  accepting  office. 
Of  course  there  are  many  of  your  Juniors  who  are  already 
too  conceited  about  their  own  abilities,  for  this  is  an  age 
when  many  children  like  to  “show  off.”  It  is  to  the  modest 
children,  however,  that  you  want  to  make  your  appeal, 
for  many  of  these  need  to  be  drawn  out  in  order  to  de¬ 
velop  their  real  qualities  of  leadership.  Perhaps  this  les¬ 
son  may  be  a  lesson  for  yourself  in  your  treatment  of  the 
pupils  in  your  class,  as  well  as  for  the  pupils  themselves. 
God  encouraged  Moses  over  and  over  again ;  he  encour¬ 
aged  Gideon  over  and  over  again.  So  you  should  try  to 
draw  out  those  of  your  pupils  who  hesitate  to  take  part 
in  the  work  of  the  class. 

Sunday  Session.  The  Teacher’s  Aim  :  To  impress  upon 
your  pupils  the  fact  that  in  the  conflict  between  right  and 
wrong,  sin  must  always  be  punished,  and  to  rouse  in 
them  a  stronger  desire  to  be  God’s  faithful  servants. 

Ask  the  pupils  to  open  their  Bibles  and  find  for  you 
the  nine  plagues  given  in  Exodus,  chapters  7  to  11. 


lvi 


TO  THE  TEACHER 


1.  The  River  Water  Turned  to  Blood.  Exodus 
7:19,  20. 

2.  Frogs.  Exodus  8:1-6. 

3.  Lice.  Exodus  8:16,  17. 

4.  Flies.  Exodus  8 :20-22. 

5.  Disease  of  Cattle.  Exodus  9  :l-4,  6, 

6.  Boils.  Exodus  9  :8-10. 

7.  Hail.  Exodus  9 :22-24. 

8.  Locusts.  Exodus  10 :12-14. 

9.  Darkness.  Exodus  10 :21-23. 

Then  compare  this  list  with  Psalm  105  :26-37,  reading 
the  verses  slowly  and  impressively.  Be  sure  that  the 
pupils  do  not  look  upon  these  plagues  merely  as  a  series 
of  fairy  tales.  Show  that  through  them  God  was  work¬ 
ing  out  his  purpose  for  his  people,  whom  he  was  training 
to  give  his  message  to  the  world. 

Expressional  Session.  The  Teacher’s  Aim:  To  impress 
upon  the  pupils,  and  to  lead  them  to  express  the  truth 
that  real  courage  comes  from  God. 

So  many  stories  of  modern  heroes  and  heroines  who 
have  been  brave  for  God’s  sake  can  be  found  that  you 
will  have  no  trouble  in  finding  examples  to  use  in  con¬ 
nection  with  this  lesson.  A  brief  glance  over  the  third 
part  of  the  first  year  of  these  lessons  will  refresh  your 
memory  of  the  martyr  heroes  of  the  early  Christian 
Church,  and  on  some  modern  missionary  heroes.  Stories 
of  other  missionaries  will  be  found  in  “  Modern  Heroes 
of  the  Mission  Field,”  by  Walsh.  It  might  be  a  good 
idea  to  ask  each  of  your  pupils  a  week  in  advance  to  pre¬ 
pare  an  item  about  some  one  who  has  been  a  hero  or 
heroine  for  Christ’s  sake,  or,  if  this  does  not  seem  wise, 
perhaps  you  yourself  can  prepare  items  for  the  pupils 
about  those  who  you  think  would  be  particularly  inter¬ 
esting  to  them.  Be  sure  to  lead  them  to  see  that  heroism 
for  God  is  possible  in  the  present  day,  as  well  as  in  the 
days  of  Moses,  so  long  ago. 

Chapter  XXV 

Week  Day  Session.  The  Teacher’s  Aim :  To  review 
the  facts  about  the  establishment  of  the  passover. 

Another  account  of  the  passover  was  given  in  the 


TO  THE  TEACHER 


lvii 


Junior  Week  Day  Book,  for  last  year,  “  Jesus,  the  Light 
of  the  World.’’  There  an  account  was  given  of  the  later 
customs  connected  with  the  passover  celebration.  Here 
more  emphasis  is  placed  on  the  beginnings.  If  the  first 
year  books  are  available,  have  the  pupils  review  this 
chapter,  Chapter  XV. 

Make  the  pupils  see  vividly  the  preparations  of  the 
Jews  for  departure.  Show  how  Moses  warned  Pharaoh 
once  more  ;  how  even  at  the  last  moment  he  might  have 
escaped,  had  he  listened  to  God’s  message. 

Show  pictures  of  the  modern  passover  celebration 
among  the  Samaritans,  if  possible.  These  will  be  found 
in  The  National  Geographic  Magazines,  which  you  can 
probably  consult  in  your  public  library.  Read  the  ac¬ 
count  of  the  passover  as  given  in  your  Bible  distionary. 

Sunday  Session.  The  Teacher’s  Aim:  To  emphasize 
the  fact  that  the  Children  of  Israel  were  ready  to  do  God's 
will,  and  immediately  obeyed  his  command. 

Begin  the  lesson  by  showing  the  picture  of  the  flight 
from  Egypt,  by  Roberts,  given  in  connection  with  this 
lesson.  Point  out  the  great  buildings  and  statues,  the 
pyramids  in  the  distance,  and  the  Children  of  Israel  with 
their  sheep  and  camels  in  the  foreground.  Impress  upon 
the  pupils  the  fact  of  God’s  omnipotence,  and  that  he  uses 
his  power  to  help  those  who  believe  in  him  and  trust  him. 

Emphasize  the  fact  that  the  Egyptians  were  eager  to 
get  rid  of  the  people  who,  they  thought,  had  brought  so 
many  misfortunes  upon  them.  Close  with  a  word  picture 
of  the  start  of  the  Israelites,  who  have  eaten  the  pass- 
over,  staff  in  hand,  and  had  left  their  homes  without  even 
waiting  for  the  dough  in  their  kneading  troughs  to  rise. 
If  possible  have  on  hand  specimens  of  the  unleavened 
bread — the  matzoth  of  the  Jews.  (This  can  usually  be 
obtained  at  passover  time  in  large  grocery  stores,  and  can 
be  kept  for  this  lesson.)  Emphasize  God’s  deliverance  of 
his  people,  and  that  the  punishment  of  Pharaoh  and  the 
people  of  Egypt  was  due  to  their  own  disobedience. 

Expressional  Session.  The  Teacher’s  Aim  :  To  lead  the 
pupils  to  see  and  to  express  the  parallelism  between  the 
passover  of  the  Jews  and  the  Lord’s  Supper  in  the  Chris¬ 
tian  Church. 


lviii 


TO  THE  TEACHER 


In  making  this  parallel  you  may  find  the  following 
points  helpful. 

1.  The  passover  was  the  memorial  of  the  birth  of  the 
Jewish  nation.  Its  celebration  was  never  to  be  omitted. 
The  Lord’s  Supper  was  instituted  by  Christ  as  a  me¬ 
morial,  to  be  repeated  “  till  he  come.” 

2.  The  passover  recalled  to  the  Jews  their  marvelous 
deliverance  from  oppression,  and  the  beginning  of  a  new 
life.  The  Lord’s  Supper  recalls  our  deliverance  from  sin, 
by  the  death  and  resurrection  of  Jesus. 

3.  The  passover  meal  was  a  renewal  of  God’s  cov¬ 
enant  with  his  people.  So  is  the  Lord's  Supper. 

4.  At  the  passover  meal,  the  Children  of  Israel  par¬ 
took  of  a  lamb  without  blemish,  eaten  with  bitter  herbs 
and  unleavened  bread.  In  the  Lord’s  Supper  we  eat  the 
bread  and  drink  the  wine,  thinking  of  Christ,  “  the  Lamb 
of  God,  that  taketh  away  the  sin  of  the  world,”  and  re¬ 
membering  how  he  said  of  the  bread  and  the  wine  that 
they  were  his  body  and  blood,  shed  for  the  remission  of 
our  sins. 

This  parallelism  has  been  carried  a  little  further  by 
scholars,  the  unleavened  bread  symbolizing  freedom  from 
corruption,  the  bitter  herbs  standing  for  the  bitterness  of 
our  repentance  for  sin,  but  these  parallelisms  are  not 
suitable  for  use  with  Juniors.  Try  in  the  meeting  to 
bring  your  pupils  to  a  decision  for  Christ,  or,  if  they  have 
already  made  such  a  decision,  to  an  open  expression  of 
this. 


Chapter  XXVI 

Week  Day  Session.  The  Teacher’s  Aim:  To  give  the 
pupils  information  about  the  geography  of  the  early  part 
of  the  journey  of  the  Israelites  toward  the  Promised 
Land. 

At  attempt  has  been  made  in  the  lessons  which  the 
pupils  have  studied  about  Joseph  to  show  that  the  jour¬ 
ney  between  Israel  and  Egypt  was  not  particularly  diffi¬ 
cult,  and  that  it  was  accomplished  with  comparative 
frequency.  Connect  this  fact  with  the  present  lesson. 
Review  the  information  given  about  the  two  routes  over 
which  it  is  supposed  that  Joseph  and  Jacob  traveled. 


TO  THE  TEACHER 


lix 


Then  ask  why  the  Children  of  Israel  did  not  go  by  one  of 
these  ways.  Why  did  they  make  the  quick  turn  south 
from  Succoth,  instead  of  going  directly  along  the  way  of 
the  Philistines?  (Bible  students  think  that  the  warlike 
Philistines  would  have  been  too  powerful  for  this  undis¬ 
ciplined  body  of  slaves,  and  that  God  planned  to  train 
them  in  the  wilderness  school.)  God  was  guiding  them. 
He  sent  the  pillar  of  cloud  and  fire  to  lead  them.  Trace 
the  route  to  Etliam,  making  on  the  blackboard  a  chart 
such  as  that  which  is  suggested  in  the  pupil’s  Notebook 
Work.  This  should  be  left  on  the  board,  to  be  completed 
as  the  lessons  progress.  Bring  the  story  to-  a  climax  with 
a  picture  of  the  Israelites — probably  two  million  men, 
women,  and  children,  with  animals  and  possessions,  en¬ 
camped  in  Pi-hahiroth,  at  the  end  of  the  arm  of  the  Red 
Sea — water  in  front  of  them  ;  mountains  and  walls  on 
either  side  of  them ;  no  way  out  of  the  trap  except  the 
way  by  which  they  had  come. 

If  you  have  time,  depict  the  scene  on  the  sand  table, 
letting  the  pupils  realize  how  the  Children  of  Israel  felt 
when  they  saw  the  chariots  of  Pharaoh  approaching. 

Sunday  Session.  The  Teacher's  Aim:  To  lead  the 
pupils  to  realize  how  God  delivered  from  difficulty  and 
danger  those  who  trusted  in  him. 

In  the  Week  Day  Session  we  left  the  Children  of  Israel 
in  a  difficult  situation.  Begin  the  lesson  with  a  quick 
review  of  the  geography.  Then  ask:  “What  did  the 
Children  of  Israel  do?  Did  you  ever  do  anything  like 
that?  When  you  have  started  out  for  a  picnic,  perhaps  a 
thunderstorm  has  come  up  suddenly.  Your  lunch  has 
been  spoiled.  Your  trip  was  a  failure.  What  did  you 
do?  "  Show  the  pupils  how  unkind  and  unjust  the  people 
were  in  blaming  Moses,  their  leader.  They  lost  their 
temper  because  things  did  not  go  exactly  as  they  wanted 
them  to  go. 

But  Moses  was  patient  with  them.  He  depended  on 
God.  He  encouraged  the  people  with  wise  words.  And 
God  did  help  them  out  of  their  trouble.  How  did  he  do 
it?  (This  story  is  so  familiar  that  the  pupils  will  be  able 
to  tell  it  without  any  assistance.  Do  not  let  them  dwell 
too  long  on  the  destruction  of  the  Egyptians  but  let  them 


lx 


TO  THE  TEACHER 


feel  that  the  people  of  Pharaoh  had  deserved  God’s  pun¬ 
ishment.  Let  the  lesson  end  with  the  joy  of  the  Israelites 
for  their  preservation — not  upon  any  feeling  of  elation  at 
the  destruction  of  their  enemy.) 

Expressional  Session.  The  Teacher’s  Aim :  To  lead  the 
pupils  to  express  the  feeling  that  you  wish  them  to  have 
that  God  has  sent  to  our  nation  guides  who  will  show  us 
the  way,  as  the  pillar  of  cloud  and  fire  showed  the  way  to 
the  Children  of  Israel. 

Pictures  to  Use  with  the  Lesson 

The  Israelites  Passing  Through  the  Red  Sea,  by 
Raphael. 

The  Destruction  of  Pharaoh’s  Hosts,  by  Dore. 

Pharaoh's  Horses,  by  Pierring. 

The  subject  of  the  Expressional  Session  is  “  God  Guid¬ 
ing  Our  Nation.”  As  you  help  the  pupils  to  develop  this 
topic  point  out  instances  in  the  history  of  our  nation 
where  God’s  leadership  has  been  clearly  shown.  Show 
the  pupils  a  coin  on  which  are  the  words  “  In  God  We 
Trust.”  Ask  for  the  first  words  of  the  Declaration  of 
Independence.  What  do  these  things  show  about  our 
nation?  Are  we  like  the  Children  of  Israel  in  any  way? 
Does  our  nation  claim  to  follow  God's  leadership  ?  When 
the  founders  of  our  nation  planned  our  government,  they 
trusted  God  and  followed  his  leadership.  We  have  an 
expression  of  that  trust  in  the  words  on  our  coins.  Has 
God  ever  delivered  our  nation  from  difficulties?  He  has 
raised  up  leaders  in  times  of  trouble,  has  he  not?  Then 
speak  of  ways  in  which  God  has  helped  our  country. 
What  is  our  duty  to  God  who  has  done  so  much  for  our 
nation?  Make  the  session  patriotic.  Conclude  by  im¬ 
pressing  the  lesson  that  the  nation  cannot  follow  God  un¬ 
less  the  individual  citizens  follow  him.  Each  one  of  us 
must  follow  his  guidance,  and  so  the  nation  as  a  whole 
will  follow  it. 


Chapter  XXVII 

Week  Day  Session.  The  Teacher's  Aim:  To  instruct 
the  pupils  in  the  geography  of  the  Sinaitic  Peninsula. 


TO  THE  TEACHER 


lxi 


Dr.  Franklin  E.  Hoskins’  book,  “  From  the  Nile  to 
Nebo,”  will  give  yon  a  great  deal  of  information  in  regard 
to  this  subject.  A  more  condensed  article  by  Dr.  Hoskins 
will  be  found  in  the  National  Geographic  Magazine  for 
December,  1909,  which  you  may  be  able  to  obtain  from 
your  public  library. 

In  connection  with  this  lesson  you  might  like  to  use 
the  following  plan.  On  as  large  a  sheet  of  paper  as  you 
can  obtain,  block  out  a  map  of  the  Sinaitic  Peninsula. 
Stretch  this  out  on  the  sand  table,  or  even  on  the  floor. 
Have  the  pupils  mark  the  points  at  which  the  Children 
of  Israel  stopped.  Then  have  some  of  them  who  letter 
well  prepare  flags  made  of  colored  paper  and  lettered 
with  the  name  of  the  place — red  for  the  Red  Sea,  perhaps ; 
green  for  the  oasis  of  Elim  ;  yellow  for  the  wilderness,  to 
represent  sand ;  gray  for  the  mountains  with  their  rocks. 
Have  these  flags  mounted  on  black-headed  hatpins,  and 
stuck  into  your  map  at  the  proper  places.  Then  take  a 
ball  of  twine.  Tie  it  to  the  first  hatpin,  which  you  have 
placed  at  Rameses ;  extend  the  twine  to  Succoth,  and  wind 
around  the  banner  pin  there  ;  carry  to  Pi-hahiroth,  and 
across  the  Red  Sea  to  Marah  and  Elim.  This  will  make 
a  straight  path  between  one  place  and  the  next.  Of 
course  the  Children  of  Israel  did  not  take  a  straight 
course,  but  the  plan  will  help  your  pupils  to  visualize  the 
geographical  setting.  You  may  adapt  the  same  plan  to 
use  on  your  sand-table  map. 

Sunday  Session.  The  Teacher’s  Aim:  To  bring  the 
pupils  to  see  that  God’s  love  and  care  were  not  only  for 
the  Children  of  Israel,  but  for  all  the  people  of  the  world. 

Bring  out  the  lesson  of  God’s  goodness  even  when  the 
Children  of  Israel  were  rebellious  and  ungrateful  for  all 
that  had  been  done  to  them.  Appeal  to  the  pupils’  sense 
of  justice.  The  people  were  unfair  to  God,  who  had 
shown  so  great  kindness  to  them  by  the  miracles  which 
he  had  done  for  them.  It  was  only  a  short  time  since  he 
had  delivered  them  from  Pharaoh  at  the  Red  Sea.  Now 
they  were  longing  to  be  back  amid  the  fleshpots  of 
Egypt.  They  remembered  the  fish  which  they  ate  in 
Egypt,  the  cucumbers  and  the  melons  and  the  leeks  and 
the  onions  and  the  garlic,  Numbers  11:5,  but  they  forgot 


lxii 


TO  THE  TEACHER 


their  hard  work,  and  how  they  had  longed  for  freedom. 
Ask  the  pupils  if  they  ever  do  anything  similar  to  this. 
Are  they  always  grateful  to  God  for  what  he  does  for 
them?  Make  the  end  of  the  lesson  an  appeal  to  them 
for  appreciation  of  their  blessings. 

Expressional  Session.  The  Teacher's  Aim:  To  lead  the 
pupils  to  express  their  gratitude  to  God  for  his  goodness 
to  our  nation  and  to  themselves  in  particular. 

Make  this  a  patriotic  service.  Use  the  songs  of  thanks¬ 
giving  and  gratitude  found  in  your  hymnal.  Be  sure  to 
teach  the  children  a  grace  to  use  at  table,  and  urge  them 
to  use  it.  It  will  be  well  to  ask  the  parents  to  cooperate 
with  you  in  this. 

j 


Chapter  XXYIII 

Week  Day  Session.  The  Teacher's  Aim:  To  continue 
the  instruction  of  the  pupils  in  regard  to  the  geography 
of  the  Sinaitic  Peninsula. 

Continue  the  map  drills  which  you  have  begun  in  the 
last  lesson.  Picture  as  vividly  as  possible  the  desert 
scenes.  Tell  the  story  of  Moses  smiting  the  rock  at 
Rephidim,  but  do  not  confuse  this  with  the  similar  event 
described  in  Xumbers  20:8-11.  Keep  clearly  before  the 
pupils  the  goodness  of  God  in  all  that  he  did  for  the  Chil¬ 
dren  of  Israel  in  spite  of  their  disobedience  and  ingrati¬ 
tude.  Leave  them  with  a  sense  that  God  is  leading  them 
as  he  was  leading  the  Children  of  Israel. 

Sunday  Session.  The  Teacher’s  Aim:  To  bring  to  a 
focus  the  children’s  knowledge  of  the  Ten  Command¬ 
ments  which  they  have  been  learning  for  seven  weeks. 

Place  on  the  blackboard  a  drawing  representing  the 
tables  of  the  law,  and  drill  on  the  Ten  Commandments, 
pointing  to  the  numerals,  and  calling  on  the  pupils  for 
the  various  Commandments.  Have  them  sing'  the  re¬ 
sponses  given  in  “  The  Hymnal,”  ATumber  151.  At  this 
time  the  pupils  should  become  so  letter  perfect  in  their 
knowledge  of  the  Commandments  that  they  will  never 
forget  them.  Use  the  following  pictures  if  they  are 
available : 

Giving  the  Law  on  Mount  Sinai,  by  Dore. 


TO  THE  TEACHER 


lxiii 


Moses  and  the  Tablets  of  the  Law.  (This  subject  has 
been  treated  by  various  artists,  among  whom  are  Cham- 
paigne,  Ghiberti,  and  Raphael.) 

Expressional  Session.  The  Teacher's  Aim  :  To  show 
the  pupils  that  all  the  Ten  Commandments  are  covered 
in  the  Two  Great  Commandments  of  Jesus,  and  to  lead 
them  to  wish  to  obey  these  Commandments. 

Ask  the  boys  and  girls  what  they  know  about  the 
pledge  of  the  Boy  Scouts.  They  promise  to  do  their  duty 
to  God  and  country.  They  promise  to  help  other  people. 
Are  these  things  in  any  way  connected  with  the  two  Com¬ 
mandments  of  Jesus?  Do  not  scouts  promise  to  be  loyal 
to  officers,  parents,  country,  and  employers?  They  are  to 
be  useful  to  others,  to  be  friendly  to  all,  to  be  courteous, 
to  obev  orders.  These  things  are  all  covered  in  the  broad 
interpretation  of  Jesus'  Two  Great  Commandments,  and 
also  in  the  Ten  Commandments.  Show  the  pupils  how 
far-reaching  the  rules  given  so  many  hundreds  of  years 
ago  are.  They  will  help  the  children  of  to-day  in  their 
everyday  lives  as  well  as  they  helped  the  Children  of 
Israel  in  the  desert.  Lead  your  pupils  to  express  a  desire 
to  do  those  things  which  God  wants  them  to  do,  as  told 
in  the  Ten  Commandments. 

The  Scout  Oath 

On  my  honor  I  will  do  mv  best — 

1.  To  do  my  duty  to  God  and  my  country,  and  to  obey 
the  scout  law. 

2.  To  help  other  people  at  all  times. 

3.  To  keep  myself  physically  strong,  mentally  awake, 
and  morally  straight. 

The  Scout  Laws 

1.  A  scout  is  trustworthy. 

2.  A  scout  is  loyal. 

3.  A  scout  is  helpful. 

4.  A  scout  is  friendly. 

5.  A  scout  is  courteous. 

6.  A  scout  is  kind. 

?.  A  scout  is  obedient. 


lxiv 


TO  THE  TEACHER 


8.  A  scout  is  cheerful. 

9.  A  scout  is  thrifty. 

10.  A  scout  is  brave. 

11.  A  scout  is  clean. 

12.  A  scout  is  reverent. 

Chapter  XXIX 

Week  Day  Session.  The  Teacher’s  Aim  :  To  give  to  the 
pupils  information  about  the  tabernacle,  the  sacred  tent  in 
which  the  Jews  worshiped  God  from  the  days  of  Moses 
to  the  days  of  Solomon. 

In  connection  with  this  lesson  you  can  use  the  Saxe 
model  of  the  tabernacle,  which  may  be  obtained  from  the 
publishers  of  these  lessons.  Price,  $3.00.  This  “  includes 
the  court,  tabernacle,  curtains,  four  coverings,  Ark  of  the 
Covenant,  table  of  shewbread,  golden  altar,  golden  can¬ 
dlestick,  laver,  and  brazen  altar.  It  contains  in  all  one 
hundred  and  ten  pieces,  instructions  for  erecting,  eight- 
page  explanation  of  its  spiritual  teachings,  and  a  specially 
written  booklet  for  Junior  Department  teachers.”  If  you 
cannot  get  this,  you  can  plan  to  make  a  simple  model, 
yourself.  Have  the  pupils  work  out  the  plans,  according 
to  the  dimensions  given  in  the  Bible,  using  inches  instead 
of  cubits.  The  article  on  “  tabernacle,”  given  in  Davis’ 
“  Dictionary  of  the  Bible,”  is  clear,  and  you  will  find  other 
interesting  information  in  Ridout’s  “  Lectures  on  the 
Tabernacle.”  At  least  have  the  pupils  lay  out  the  ground 
plan  of  the  tabernacle,  copying  the  outline  given  with  the 
lesson. 

Sunday  Session.  The  Teacher’s  Aim  :  To  continue  the 
lesson  on  the  tabernacle  and  its  furnishings,  begun  in  the 
week-day  session. 

Have  the  pupils  work  out  for  themselves  some  of  the 
furnishings  of  the  tabernacle.  An  Ark  may  be  made  from 
a  small  pasteboard  jewelry  box,  gilded  or  covered  with 
gilt  paper.  Small  round  brass  paper  fasteners  may  be 
sewed  to  the  sides,  to  represent  the  rings  through  which 
the  poles  were  passed,  and  sticks  may  be  smoothed  and 
gilded  to  represent  the  poles.  Double  and  paste  together 


TO  THE  TEACHER 


lxv 


a  piece  of  gilt  paper.  From  this  cut  figures  of  cherubim, 
copying  the  figures  on  the  cover  of  the  Ark,  as  shown  on 
page  292,  and  set  them  up  on  the  lid  of  the  box.  Have 
the  pupils  cut  out  small  tablets  on  which  they  put  the 
Roman  numerals  I  to  X  to  represent  the  tables  of  the 
Law.  Put  these  into  the  Ark.  In  a  similar  way  von  can 
make  from  boxes  a  laver  and  an  altar,  and  can  cut  a  can¬ 
dlestick  from  gold  paper.  The  copy  of  such  a  candlestick 
can  be  found,  however,  in  many  homes,  and  perhaps  your 
pupils  may  be  able  to  bring  one  of  them  to  the  school, 
which  you  may  show. 

Expressional  Session.  The  Teacher’s  Aim  :  To  show 
the  pupils  how  willingly  the  Children  of  Israel  gave  their 
gifts  for  God’s  house,  and  to  help  them,  too,  to  learn  the 
lesson  of  generosity. 

The  Children  of  Israel  gave  willingly  to  the  Lord. 
Though  our  pupils  are  only  Juniors  they  are  not  too 
young  to  learn  the  lesson  of  stewardship.  Let  them  see 
through  this  lesson  how  they  can  share,  and  should  share, 
in  giving  money  and  time  for  God’s  work.  Show  how  the 
Children  of  Israel  gave  the  treasured  possessions  which 
they  had  brought  with  them  from  Egypt.  Emphasize  the 
fact  that  the  most  skillful  workmen  gave  their  time,  in 
making  the  workmanship  of  the  tabernacle  as  perfect  as 
possible.  Everything  that  is  done  for  God  should  be  done 
well  and  gladly.  We  owe  to  him  our  best. 

There  are  many  hymns  of  giving  which  may  be  found 
in  the  various  hymnals.  Have  the  pupils  sing  several  of 
these.  Then,  if  there  is  any  gift  that  is  needed  for  your 
church,  which  it  is  within  the  power  of  your  school  to 
make,  urge  that  the  pupils  try  in  every  way  possible  to 
accomplish  this.  Their  church  should  be  as  dear  to  them 
as  the  tabernacle  was  to  the  Israelites.  They  will  enjoy 
doing  or  giving  some  definite  gift,  which  they  know  is 
needed,  and  will  work  hard  if  you  can  inspire  their 
enthusiasm. 


Chapter  XXX 

Week  Day  Session.  The  Teacher’s  Aim:  To  make  the 
children  familiar  with  the  story  of  the  reports  of  the 
twelve  spies, 


lxvi 


TO  THE  TEACHER 


In  preparing  for  this  story,  have  a  map  of  the  Sinaitic 
Peninsula  and  of  Palestine  put  upon  the  blackboard.  In¬ 
dicate  Mount  Sinai.  Make  as  vivid  as  possible  the  ac¬ 
count  of  the  way  in  which  the  Israelites  left  the  sacred 
spot.  Begin  by  reviewing  the  story  of  the  tabernacle — 
its  beautiful  furnishings  and  so  on.  Then  continue  some¬ 
what  as  follows.  “  One  morning  when  the  Children  of 
Israel  wakened  they  found  that  something  strange  had 
happened.  The  pillar  of  cloud  and  fire  had  moved  !  It 
was  a  sign  from  God  that  they  were  to  break  camp,  and 
go  forward.  Quickly  they  took  down  the  hangings  of  the 
tabernacle.  Quickly  they  folded  them  and  packed  up  the 
furnishings.  The  Levites  took  up  the  Ark;  they  moved 
forward  as  the  pillar  of  cloud  and  fire  led  them. 

“  They  were  getting  nearer  and  nearer  to  Canaan,  the 
Promised  Land.  They  were  almost  at  the  border!  Then 
God  commanded  Moses  to  send  out  twelve  men,  one  from 
each  tribe,  to  look  over  the  land.  We  call  these  men 
‘  spies/  but  the  word  does  not  mean  what  we  mean  when 
we  use  the  word  nowadays.  They  were  just  to  explore 
the  land,  and  make  a  report  about  it.’’ 

Continue  with  the  familiar  story,  as  it  is  given  in  the 
pupil’s  lesson.  Show  pictures  of  Palestine,  and  tell  of  the 
beauties  of  the  land,  as  it  was  in  those  days.  Then  show 
how  ungrateful  the  people  were  in  distrusting  God  and 
his  promises.  Leave  the  lesson  at  this  point:  What 
would  God  do?  M  ould  he  let  the  Children  of  Israel  have 
his  promised  good  gifts?  Were  they  ready  to  receive 
them  ?  Let  the  pupils  decide  for  themselves,  and  be  pre¬ 
pared  to  tell  you  on  Sunday. 

Pictures  to  use  with  this  lesson  are  as  follows : 

The  Return  of  the  Spies  from  the  Land  of  Promise,  by 
Dore. 

The  Return  of  the  Spies,  from  the  Nelson  Bible 

Sunday  Session.  The  Teacher’s  Aim :  To  show  the 
pupils  why  it  was  necessary  for  the  Children  of  Israel  to 
spend  forty  years  in  the  wilderness. 

Because  the  Children  of  Israel  did  not  trust  God,  who 
had  done  such  wonderful  things  for  them,  they  had  to 
spend  thirty-eight  years  in  addition  to  the  two  years 
before  this  time  in  the  wilderness,  before  they  were  fitted 


TO  THE  TEACHER 


lxvii 


to  enter  the  Promised  Land.  They  had  proved  that  they 
were  not  yet  ready  to  ride  themselves.  For  hundreds  of 
years  they  had  been  slaves  in  Egypt.  They  still  showed 
traces  of  this,  in  their  lack  of  faith.  God  knew  that  a  new 
generation  would  be  better  prepared  for  independence,  so 
the  forty  years  in  the  wilderness  had  to  be  decreed. 

Expressional  Session.  The  Teacher's  Aim:  To  teach 
the  pupils  the  lesson  that  they,  too,  should  learn  to  trust 
in  God’s  promises. 

There  are  many  hymns  that  may  be  used  in  connection 
with  this  lesson,  and  if  the  pupils  have  not  had  a  service 
of  song  too  recently,  they  will  enjoy  this.  Before  the 
session,  look  through  your  hymnal,  and  select  suitable 
hymns.  Xo  doubt  you  will  find  many  others  in  addition 
to  those  suggested  in  the  pupil's  lesson. 

You  can  also  have  the  pupils  find  verses  which  tell  of 
God’s  promises  to  those  who  trust  in  him,  and  how  they 
have  been  fulfilled.  Have  a  contest  to  see  who  can  find 
and  read  first  the  verses  which  you,  or  the  pupil  leader, 
announces. 


Chapter  XXXI 

Week  Day  Session.  The  Teacher's  Aim:  To  show  the 
pupils  how  failure  to  trust  God  brought  trouble  to  the  Is¬ 
raelites  in  the  wilderness.  To  show,  also,  how  wrong  it 
is  to  grumble  and  complain. 

Have  put  on  the  blackboard  a  map  of  the  region  in 
which  the  Israelites  spent  thirty-eight  years,  particularly 
indicating  Kadesh-barnea,  and  showing  how  this  was  the 
center  of  their  life  during  the  long  period  between  the 
return  of  the  twelve  spies,  from  their  expedition  into 
Canaan,  and  the  time  when  the  last  man  and  woman  wdio 
had  seen  the  miracles  which  God  had  done  in  Egypt, 
had  died. 

Then  ask  the  pupils  to  make  a  list  of  the  troubles  which 
came  to  the  people  of  Israel  in  the  wilderness,  in  as  far  as 
they  are  given  in  the  lesson  passage: 

1.  The  Death  of  Miriam. 

2.  The  Lack  of  Water. 

3.  The  Refusal  of  the  King  of  Edom  to  Allow  Them 
to  Pass  Through  His  Land. 


lxviii 


TO  THE  TEACHER 


4.  The  Death  of  Aaron. 

5.  The  Defeat  of  King  Arad  of  Canaan. 

6.  The  Fiery  Serpents. 

Show  to  the  pupils  how  these  troubles  were  all  due  to 
the  people’s  lack  of  trust  in  God,  and  to  their  complaints 
against  him.  Show  how  faith  in  God’s  miracles  and 
promises  would  have  prevented  many  of  these  things — 
that  is,  they  would  not  have  suffered  the  troubles  num¬ 
bered  2,  3,  5,  6,  above,  if  they  had  accepted  the  report 
of  Caleb  and  Joshua,  and  gone  into  Canaan,  trusting 
in  God. 

Sunday  Session.  The  Teacher’s  Aim:  To  review  the 
story  of  the  life  of  Moses. 

Have  ready  before  the  session  all  the  pictures  of  Moses 
which  you  have  used  in  the  lessons  about  him.  Ask  the 
pupils  to  arrange  these  in  the  order  of  the  events  of  his 
life.  What  were  the  principal  events  of  the  first  forty 
years?  Of  the  second  forty  years?  Of  the  third  forty 
years?  Show  which  pictures  belong  to  each  period. 
Then  ask  how  many  times  Moses  had  failed  in  doing  as 
God  wanted  him  to  do.  How  was  he  punished  the  first 
time  he  was  impatient?  (By  having  to  leave  his  palace 
home  in  Egypt,  and  becoming  a  shepherd  in  the  land  of 
Midian.)  How  did  God  treat  him  when  he  objected  to 
doing  his  will?  (Exodus  3:10-14).  God  was  patient  with 
him,  and  allowed  him  to  have  Aaron  with  him.  What 
was  the  final  example  of  Moses’  impatience  which  is  given 
to  us?  What  was  his  punishment  this  time?  But,  al¬ 
though  God  punished  Moses  he  honored  him  highly. 

Trace  on  the  map  the  journey  of  the  people  until  the 
time  when  Moses  left  them,  climbing  alone  the  heights  of 
Nebo,  and  dwell  upon  the  honor  which  God  did  him. 
Show  how  he  has  always  been  considered  one  of  the 
greatest  men  in  the  world.  Three  religions — the  Chris¬ 
tian,  the  Jewish,  and  the  Mohammedan —  honor  him,  and 
he  is  an  example  of  as  great  faith  in  God  and  in  his  power 
as  the  world  has  ever  seen.  “  By  faith  he  forsook  Egypt, 
not  fearing  the  wrath  of  the  king:  for  he  endured,  as 
seeing  him  who  is  invisible.”  Hebrews  11 :27. 

Expressional  Session.  The  Teacher’s  Aim:  To  lead  the 
pupils  to  express  their  own  trust  in  God  and  his  promises. 


TO  THE  TEACHER 


lxix 


In  answering  the  Questions  and  discussing  the  Topics 
for  the  lesson,  the  pupils  will  review  the  last  lessons. 
This  brings  to  a  conclusion  the  series  on  the  wilderness 
wanderings,  and  next  week  we  begin  the  Stories  of  the 
Conquest  of  Canaan.  Have  the  lesson  center  on  the  way 
in  which  the  Israelites  in  the  wilderness  had  succeeded 
when  they  trusted  in  God,  and  had  failed  when  they  failed 
to  believe  in  him.  Make  the  lesson  practical  for  the 
pupils  by  pointing  out  the  necessity  for  trust  in  their  own 
personal  lives. 

Helps  for  Teaching  the  Review 

AN  ITINERARY  OF  THE  WILDERNESS  JOURNEY 
(Condensed  and  Reworded  from  Davis’  Bible  Dictionary) 
STAGE  1.  FROM  RAMESES  TO  MOUNT  SINAI 

RamesES,  left  in  first  month,  fifteenth  day. 

Succoth. 

Etham,  in  the  edge  of  the  wilderness. 

Phhahiroth. 

Crossing  the  Red  Sea. 

Marah,  reached  after  three  days  in  the  wilderness.  The 
bitter  water  made  sweet. 

Elim.  Rest  in  a  welbwatered  oasis. 

By  the  Red  Sea. 

Wilderness  of  Sin. 

Dophkah  and  Alush,  told  of  in  Numbers  33  :12,  13. 

Rephidim,  where  the  people  were  given  water,  and  where 
the  battle  with  Amalek  was  fought. 

Wilderness  of  Sinai,  where  the  people  camped  before 
the  mount  in  the  third  month,  remained  there  eleven  months, 
received  the  Ten  Commandments,  and  raised  the  tabernacle. 

STAGE  2.  FROM  MOUNT  SINAI  TO  KADESH- 

BARNEA 

Left  Mount  Sinai  second  year,  second  month,  twentieth 
day. 

Kibroth-Hattaavah. 

Taberah. 


lxx 


TO  THE  TEACHER 


Hazeroth. 

Rithmah. 

Kadesh,  reached  when  grapes  were  ripe,  the  latter  part  of 
the  fifth  month.  Spies  sent  out  and  discouraging  reports 
caused  the  people  to  revolt.  Their  punishment  being  the 
forty  years  of  wandering  (thirty-eight  years  longer  plus  two 
years  already  spent).  Kadesh  was  the  central  station  for 
the  thirty-eight  years,  during  which  the  men  of  that  genera¬ 
tion  died.  The  names  of  the  various  camps  are  given. 
Numbers  33  : 1 9-35. 

STAGE  3.  FROM  KADESH  TO  THE  JORDAN 

Left  Kadesh,  first  month  of  the  fortieth  year;  the  sin  of 
Meribah. 

Mount  Hor,  edge  of  Edom,  fifth  month.  Aaron’s  death 
occurred  here.  The  king  of  Edom’s  refusal  of  a  right  of 
way  led  to  the  circuitous  journey  told  of  in  Numbers,  chap¬ 
ter  21. 

Zalmonah,  the  people  troubled  by  fiery  serpents,  and 
healed  by  the  serpent  of  brass. 

Tourneying  in  the  Wilderness  East  of  Moab. 

The  Plains  of  Moab,  opposite  Jericho,  reached  in  the 
fortieth  year  before  the  eleventh  month.  Moses’  death  on 
Mount  Nebo  in  Moab. 

Chapter  XXXII 

Week  Day  Session.  The  Teacher’s  Aim:  To  help  the 
pupils  with  the  geography  of  this  lesson  and  those  which 
follow. 

If  you  have  available  the  First  Year  Course  of  the 
Junior  Church  School  Lessons,  “  Jesus,  the  Light  of  the 
World,’’  make  use  of  Lesson  I  and  the  relief  map  given  on 
page  25.  Refer  back,  also,  to  Part  I  of  the  second  year, 
pages  82  and  83,  and  to  the  map  facing  page  78.  Read 
about  the  geography  of  the  lesson  in  Smith’s  “  Historical 
Geography  of  the  Holy  Land  ”  or  in  Kent's  book  on  the 
same  subject. 

Find  in  old  National  Geographic  Magazines  or  in  other 
magazines  at  your  local  library  pictures  of  Jericho  and 


TO  THE  TEACHER 


lxxi 


the  Jordan  River.  If  you  can  obtain  magazines  which 
you  can  cut  up,  have  the  pupils  cut  and  mount  the 
pictures  to  use  with  the  lesson. 

Sunday  Session.  The  Teacher’s  Aim :  To  show  how 
God  gave  courage  to  Joshua  to  do  his  work,  and  to  im¬ 
press  the  fact  that  God  will  give  us  courage,  too,  if  we  are 
ready  and  willing  to  give  ourselves  to  his  service. 

Make  the  lesson  a  “  courage  ’’  lesson,  helping  the  pupils 
to  see  how  God  will  give  them  strength  and  courage  to  do 
what  is  right,  if  they  will  ask  for  his  help.  Speak  of  the 
splendid  examples  of  courage  in  Bible  times,  and  since 
those  times  of  which  we  have  studied.  Recall  to  them  the 
lessons  of  the  first  year's  work  on  Polycarp,  Bernard, 
Luther,  Carey,  and  the  other  modern  missionaries  of 
whom  they  have  learned.  Then  ask  if  they  know  of  any 
present-day  examples  of  courage  for  the  right.  Ask  if 
they  themselves  have  ever  felt  the  need  of  asking  God’s 
help  to  make  them  brave. 

Once  there  was  a  little  girl  of  Junior  age  who  was 
alone  in  the  house  with  her  little  brother  and  sister,  who 
were  asleep.  Their  father  and  mother  were  away,  and  the 
cook  had  gone  out  on  an  errand.  The  little  girl  heard  the 
window  in  the  kitchen  open,  and  though  she  was  very 
much  frightened,  she  went  to  see  what  was  happening.  It 
was  just  the  cook,  who  had  forgotten  her  key,  and  had 
climbed  in  the  window  quietly,  so  that  she  would  not  dis¬ 
turb  the  children,  she  said.  Was  the  little  girl  brave? 
She  was  frightened,  but  she  did  what  she  thought  was 
right.  She  was  braver  than  if  she  had  not  been  fright¬ 
ened,  it  seems  to  me.  With  incidents  similar  to  this  story, 
show  the  pupils  that  they,  too,  can  be  strong  and  of  a 
good  courage. 

Expressional  Session.  The  Teacher’s  Aim:  To  con¬ 
tinue  the  teaching  of  the  Sunday  Session,  and  to  lead  the 
pupils  to  express  their  belief  that  God  will  give  them 
strength  and  courage  when  they  need  it,  as  he  gave  these 
same  qualities  to  Joshua  and  Moses. 

In  the  Questions  and  Topics  for  to-day  the  pupils  have 
been  asked  for  subjects  which  will  review  the  other  ses¬ 
sions  of  the  week.  Ask  particularly  about  these  points. 
Then  ask  them  to  tell  you  of  other  Bible  stories  where  the 


lxxii 


TO  THE  TEACHER 


characters  were  strong  and  courageous,  as  God  wanted 
them  to  be. 

Perhaps  you  can  have  drawn  upon  the  blackboard  the 
various  pieces  of  armor  mentioned  in  the  lesson  passage. 
If  any  of  your  pupils  can  draw  or  trace  well,  have  them 
draw  the  outline  of  a  soldier.  Then  sketch  in  the  various 
pieces  of  armor  mentioned.  The  same  plan  can  be  used 
with  paper  dolls,  if  any  of  your  pupils  can  make  them. 


Chapter  XXXIII 

Week  Day  Session.  The  Teacher’s  Aim  :  To  show  that 
courage  to  do  brave  deeds  comes  to  those  who  trust  in 
God. 

Make  as  dramatic  as  possible  the  expedition  of  the  two 
spies  whom  Joshua  sent  out  to  Jericho.  Tell  how  they 
swam  across  the  Jordan.  Ask  the  pupils  to  find  what 
season  of  the  year  it  was.  (The  third  day  of  the  month 
Nisan,  or  Ahib,  corresponding  to  our  April,  has  been  esti¬ 
mated  as  the  date  of  the  expedition  of  the  spies.  This 
calculation  is  based  on  Joshua  4:19,  and  the  fact  that  the 
people  encamped  at  the  Jordan  three  days,  chapter  3:2, 
before  they  were  told  that  on  the  morrow  they  should  see 
the  wonders  of  the  Lord,  and  that  the  spies  spent  three 
days  in  the  mountains,  chapter  2  :22.)  Ask  the  pupils  what 
season  of  the  year  it  was  when  the  Children  of  Israel  left 
Egypt.  (Let  the  pupils  find  the  reference.  Exodus 
13:3,  4.)  Forty  years  had  passed.  Now  it  was  spring 
again,  the  time  of  the  flax  and  barley  harvests.  The  spies 
slipped  through  the  city  gates.  They  examined  the  plan 
of  the  city.  They  went  for  the  night  to  the  house  of  a 
woman  named  Rahab,  situated  on  the  city  wall.  In  the 
meantime  the  king  had  heard  something  about  them.  He 
sent  in  search  of  them,  but  Rahab  hid  them  under  the  piles 
of  flax  stalks  which  she  had  drying  on  the  flat  roof  of  her 
house.  (Have  the  pupils  continue  the  story  as  vividly  as 
possible.  If  they  bring  up  the  point  that  Rahab  told  a  lie 
to  the  king’s  men,  say  that  we  must  remember  that  she 
was  still  a  heathen.  She  did  not  know  the  standards  of 
right  and  wrong  set  by  the  true  God.  She  was  just  be- 


TO  THE  TEACHER 


lxxiii 


ginning  to  know  about  him.  If  the  pupils  themselves  do 
not  bring  up  this  point,  do  not  mention  it.) 

Using  the  model  of  the  flat-roofed  house  which  you 
have  made  so  often  before,  picture  the  hiding  place  of  the 
spies,  and  their  escape.  Compare  with  Paul's  escape  from 
Damascus.  Acts  9:23-25.  Tell  of  the  report  which  these 
two  spies  brought  to  Joshua.  They  both  proved  brave. 
Note  the  difference  between  this  party — 100%  courag¬ 
eous — and  that  sent  out  by  Moses,  in  which  only  two  out 
of  twelve  were  strong  and  brave. 

Drill  on  the  first  five  books  of  the  Bible,  asking  the 
pupils  to  place  events  of  their  lessons  in  the  books  where 
they  belong. 

Sunday  Session.  The  Teacher's  Aim:  To  deepen  the 
pupils’  trust  in  God. 

Make  as  vivid  as  possible  the  description  of  the  Jordan 
at  flood  tide  in  the  spring.  You  will  be  helped  in  your 
picture  by  reading  the  description  given  in  Deane’s 
“  Joshua,  His  Life  and  Times,"  in  the  “  Men  of  the 
Bible  ”  series.  If  there  is  in  the  vicinity  a  stream  with 
which  the  children  are  familiar  speak  of  this,  and  the 
way  in  which  it  is  different  in  a  time  of  storm  or  of  flood 
from  what  it  is  in  ordinary  weather.  Tell  of  the  floods 
of  our  own  great  Mississippi  and  its  branches.  You  can 
find  many  stories  of  this  in  your  library,  or  even  in  the 
newspapers.  It  was  at  such  a  time  that  the  Israelites 
were  to  cross  the  Jordan.  They  did  not  know  how  they 
were  to  cross,  but  they  trusted  God  and  were  readv  to  do 
exactly  as  Joshua  commanded.  The  lesson  of  absolute 
faith  had  been  learned,  and  they  were  ready  to  do  as  God 
wanted  them  to  do. 

Pictures  to  be  used  with  the  lesson  will  be  found  in  the 
Nelson  illustrated  Bible.  You  may  also  use  Dore's  pic¬ 
ture  of  The  Hebrews  Passing  Over  the  Jordan. 

Expressional  Session.  The  Teacher’s  Aim  :  To  lead  the 
pupils  to  feel  and  express  the  value  of  national  faith  in 
God,  and  to  show  that  it  depends  on  the  faith,  of  indi¬ 
vidual  citizens. 

In  this  connection  use  a  storv  which  a  father  is  said  to 
have  told  a  family  of  quarreling  sons.  Pie  called  them  to 
him.  “  He  showed  them  a  bundle  of  sticks  tied  together. 


lxxiv 


TO  THE  TEACHER 


He  said  to  them,  ‘  Break  this  bundle.’  Each  of  the  sons 
tried  to  break  it  but  could  not.  The  father  untied  the 
bundle  and  told  each  son  to  break  one  stick.  They  could 
do  this  easily.  Then  the  father  said,  ‘  If  all  of  you  could 
stand  together,  no  one  could  do  you  any  harm,  but  each 
one  separate  is  as  weak  as  one  of  these  little  sticks.’  ” 
(From  “  English  for  Foreigners,  Book  I,”  Houghton 
Mifflin  Company.)  Show  the  application  of  this  story  to 
the  pupils’  loyalty  and  trust  in  God.  The  nation  is  loyal 
and  trusting  only  as  its  citizens,  banding  together,  are 
loyal  and  trusting.  Perhaps  you  will  prefer  to  use  this 
illustration  by  actually  preparing  a  bundle  of  sticks  before 
the  period,  and  telling  the  members  of  the  class  to  try 
the  experiment. 


Chapter  XXXIV 

Week  Day  Session.  The  Teacher’s  Aim:  To  show  the 
result  of  the  trust  in  God  of  the  people  of  Israel,  and  to 
urge  the  pupils  also  to  trust  him. 

The  story  of  the  stones  taken  out  of  the  Jordan  and  set 
up  as  a  memorial  of  the  passing  over  of  the  river  may  be 
worked  out  by  the  pupils  on  the  sand  table.  Ask  them  to 
think  of  any  permanent  memorials  in  our  own  country, 
such  as  the  Washington  Monument,  the  many  statues  of 
Lincoln,  or  others  raised  in  honor  of  special  events  or  of 
special  heroes.  Then  speak  of  what  these  mean  to  us 
and  what  the  stones  set  up  by  Joshua  meant  to  the  Israel¬ 
ites.  For  centuries  they  were  known.  It  is  thought  that 
even  in  New  Testament  times  John  the  Baptist,  baptizing 
in  the  Jordan  River,  pointed  them  out  to  his  hearers  say¬ 
ing,  “  God  is  able  of  these  stones  to  raise  up  children  unto 
Abraham.”  So,  all  through  the  ages  the  people  of  Israel 
remembered  God’s  goodness  to  them.  So  should  we;  as  a 
nation,  remember  God’s  goodness  to  us.  Ask  the  pupils 
to  speak  of  times  when  God  showed  our  nation  the  way — 
opening  up  a  path  across  the  trackless  Atlantic  for  our 
fathers,  giving  our  country  the  victory  in  time  of  war,  and 
so  on.  Make  the  lesson  patriotic  and  national. 

Perhaps  you  will  prefer  to  shorten  the  regular  lesson, 
and  take  the  time  to  prepare  for  the  little  dramatization 


TO  THE  TEACHER 


lxxv 


to  be  given  on  Sunday.  This  will  be  necessary  if  you  wish 
to  make  it  at  all  elaborate. 

Sunday  Session.  The  Teacher’s  Aim  :  The  little  drama¬ 
tization  will  fix  the  lesson  on  the  capture  of  Jericho  in  the 
minds  of  the  pupils.  Show  the  picture  given  in  the  Nel¬ 
son  Bible  if  you  have  this,  or  other  available  pictures. 
The  most  simple  setting  may  be  used  for  this  dramatiza¬ 
tion.  Be  sure  to  have  the  seven  leaders  carry  trumpets. 
Costumes  can  be  exceedingly  simple,  such  as  have  been 
used  before  in  this  course.  Have  the  pupils  make  swords, 
helmets,  and  other  pieces  of  armor  from  pasteboard  at  a 
week-day  session,  if  you  wish,  but  these  are  not  necessary. 
Label  these  pieces  of  armor  with  the  names  given  in 
Ephesians,  Chapter  6.  The  exercise  may  be  given  with¬ 
out  any  costuming  at  all,  if  you  prefer. 

Expressional  Session.  The  Teacher’s  Aim:  Make  this 
a  thanksgiving  service  for  any  victories  over  difficulties  or 
over  self  that  the  pupils  may  have  fought  and  won.  If 
they  are  shy  about  mentioning  these,  tell  of  Helen  Keller, 
who  won  such  a  great  victory  over  physical  handicaps ; 
of  Mary  Slessor,  the  missionary  to  Calabar,  who  won  a 
victory  over  adverse  circumstances  :  of  a  boy  who  won 
a  victory  over  a  terrible  temper :  of  a  girl  who  overcame 
a  temptation  to  lie.  All  these  victories,  as  well  as  na¬ 
tional  victories,  are  God  given. 

Chapter  XXXV 

Week  Day  Session.  The  Teacher’s  Aim:  To  give  to 
the  pupils  the  history  of  the  early  steps  in  the  conquest 
of  Canaan  by  the  Israelites. 

Have  put  on  the  blackboard  a  large  outline  map  of 
Palestine.  Have  the  four  zones,  of  which  the  class  has 
studied  in  former  lessons  in  the  course,  colored  solidly  but 
lightly  with  colored  crayons,  perhaps  using  brown,  green, 
red,  and  yellow  to  indicate  the  various  heights.  Make  the 
seas  and  waterways  blue.  This  map  should  be  drawn 
carefully  for  you  may  want  to  keep  it  on  the  board  for 
several  weeks.  Put  in  the  places  in  Canaan  which  the 
Israelites  have  captured  so  far.  Mark  the  Jordan  River, 
Jericho,  Gilgal.  Then  insert  Bethel,  which  has  not  been 


lxxvi 


TO  THE  TEACHER 


mentioned  since  the  Genesis  lessons.  Ask  the  pupils  to 
tell  of  events  that  occurred  there,  and  the  promises  which 
were  made  to  Abraham,  Isaac,  and  Jacob  about  this  very 
territory. 

Not  very  far  from  Bethel,  though  the  site  is  as  yet  un¬ 
identified,  was  Ai,  a  small  place,  but  important.  It  was 
the  next  place  in  the  line  of  march.  The  Israelites  at¬ 
tacked  it  with  the  utmost  courage,  but  they  failed.  Why? 
Let  the  pupils  themselves  bring  out  the  point  that  the  act 
of  one  man  can  sometimes  injure  many  people.  The  boy 
on  the  football  team,  who  won’t  obey  training  rules;  the 
girl  who  talks  in  school  and  gets  her  neighbor  into 
trouble  ;  the  man  who  is  careless  with  his  cigarette,  and 
sets  fire  to  a  building;  such  examples  can  be  used  to  show 
how  the  carelessness  or  selfishness  of  one  individual  can 
affect  many  people.  In  the  same  way  .the  good  deed 
spreads — “  a  little  leaven  leaveneth  the  whole  lump.” 

Sunday  Session.  The  Teacher’s  Aim:  To  continue  the 
lesson  teaching  begun  in  the  Week  Day  Session,  and  to 
show  that  had  the  Israelites  consulted  God  they  would 
not  have  been  deceived. 

In  this  lesson  emphasize  the  need  of  prayer  to  God, 
night  and  morning.  Had  the  Israelites  asked  God’s  coun¬ 
sel  they  would  not  have  been  deceived  by  the  Gibeonites. 
Make  the  lesson  a  strong  appeal  to  the  pupils  for  de¬ 
pendence  on  God  and  his  leadership. 

This  lesson  passage  lends  itself  well  to  reading  aloud. 
Have  one  pupil  read  the  general  descriptive  passage. 
Have  others  read  the  words  of  the  Gibeonites,  of  the 
people  of  Israel,  of  Joshua,  of  the  princes,  and  so  on. 
Even  without  rehearsal  on  the  part  of  the  children,  this 
can  be  made  a  lively  and  interesting  little  exercise. 

Expressional  Session.  The  Teacher’s  Aim  :  To  lead  the 
pupils  to  feel  and  express  the  folly  of  trying  to  lie  and 
cheat. 

Aside  from  any  religious  motive  the  lesson  of  the  folly 
of  trying  to  deceive  is  most  useful.  Let  the  class  discuss 
such  questions  as  these:  If  John  breaks  a  window,  with 
his  ball,  does  it  pay  for  him  to  lie  about  it?  If  Mary 
breaks  a  cup  when  she  is  washing  the  dishes,  does  it  pay 
for  her  to  deny  it?  Does  it  pay  to  cheat  in  a  test  in 


TO  THE  TEACHER 


lxxvii 


school  ?  Does  it  pay  to  pretend  that  you  have  something 
that  you  would  like  to  have,  but  really  haven't?  Does  it 
pay  to  get  any  advantage  unfairly?  There  are  many 
times  in  the  children's  lives  when  questions  of  this  kind 
will  come  to  them.  They  should  be  led  to  express  a 
strong  opinion  against  lying  and  cheating  of  any  kind. 

Chapter  XXXVI 

Week  D  ay  Session.  The  Teacher's  Aim  :  To  continue 
the  pupils’  instruction  in  regard  to  the  conquest  of 
Canaan,  and  to  show  them  that  God  will  help  them,  too, 
in  fighting  their  own  battles  with  temptation,  if  thev  rely 
on  him  for  strength. 

Have  put  on  the  blackboard  the  outline  map  of  Pales¬ 
tine  suggested  in  the  pupils'  lesson.  Have  a  brisk  review 
of  the  geography  of  Palestine — its  length,  breadth,  cli¬ 
mate.  the  five  zones,  and  so  on — facts  which  have  been 
given  at  various  times  during  the  course.  Then  ask  the 
pupils  to  locate  Jericho.  Gilgal,  Ai  (approximately),  the 
two  Beth-horons,  and  Jerusalem.  This  battle  of  Beth- 
horon.  or  Gibeon,  is  considered  by  some  authorities  as  one 
of  the  decisive  battles  of  the  world.  Deane,  in  “  Joshua, 
His  Life  and  Times."  says:  “  Coming  suddenly  from  the 
defile  into  the  more  open  ground  in  front  of  Gibeon,  the 
Israelites  struck  the  Amorites  with  dismay.  Such  prompt 
action  was  quite  unexpected :  the  remembrance  of  the  ter¬ 
rible  massacres  of  Jericho  and  Ai  was  present  to  their 
minds  :  the  bearing  of  these  strangers  was  bold,  as  if  as¬ 
sured  of  victory  ;  and  as  they  shouted  their  confident  war 
cry,  ‘  God  is  mighty  in  battle :  God  is  his  name,’  the 
Amorites  were  stricken  with  panic,  and  offered  but  slight 
resistance  to  the  furious  attack  of  the  Hebrews.  They 
were  completely  discomfited,  and  fled  in  confusion 
through  the  defiles  trending  westward,  on  the  hilly  road 
broken  by  many  a  steep  ascent  and  descent  that  led  to 
Beth-horon.  some  five  or  six  miles  distant.  .  .  .  There 
were  two  places  so  called,  an  Upper  and  a  Lower  Beth- 
horon.  the  latter  lying  seven  hundred  feet  lower  than  the 
former,  some  five  or  six  miles  distant." 

Do  not  take  up  the  question  of  Joshua’s  command  that 


lxxviii 


TO  THE  TEACHER 


the  sun  stand  still  unless  the  pupils  speak  of  it.  The  ques¬ 
tion  has  puzzled  many  people  for  many  ages,  and  was  the 
center  of  the  fight  with  the  astronomer  Galileo,  in  the  six¬ 
teenth  century,  when  he  first  discovered  that  the  sun  was 
fixed,  and  that  the  earth  moved  round  it.  The  probable 
explanation  is  that  it  is  a  poetic  expression  for  what 
seemed  to  take  place.  God,  in  some  way,  prolonged  the 
day.  The  way  that  this  was  done,  as  explained  by  these 
verses,  is  the  human  explanation,  put  in  poetic  form,  but 
not  necessarily  the  true  explanation. 

Do  not  dwell  upon  the  destruction  of  the  five  kings. 
Many  times  in  the  Bible  such  destruction  was  necessary, 
though  it  is  foreign  to  us  with  our  Christian  ideals  of  the 
value  of  life. 

Sunday  Session.  The  Teacher’s  Aim:  To  lead  the 
pupils  to  make  a  decision  for  God  and  the  right. 

Before  the  session,  prepare  the  outline  of  a  large  stone, 
such  as  that  shown  in  the  picture,  and  large  enough  to  be 
cut  conveniently  from  plain  tablet  or  typewriting  paper. 
Have  sufficient  paper  and  patterns  to  supply  all  the  pupils 
with  “  stones. ”  Then  ask  why  we  have  memorials  of 
great  events.  Speak  of  the  Bunker  Hill  Monument  and 
the  address  made  there  by  Webster.  (See  Sunday  Ses¬ 
sion.)  'Then  ask  the  pupils  to  write  on  their  stones  a  de¬ 
cision  for  the  right  which  they  will  make  to-day.  .  Tell 
them  to  take  this  pledge  home,  and  to  put  it  where  they 
will  see  it,  so  that  it  will  remind  them  of  the  decision 
which  they  have  made. 

This  day  was  a  Decision  Dav  for  the  Israelites.  Make 
it  a  Decision  Day  for  your  pupils  also. 

Expressional  Session.  The  Teacher’s  Aim:  To  lead  the 
pupils  to  express  their  decision  for  God  and  the  right. 

You  may  perhaps  have  a  prayer  meeting  for  this  ses¬ 
sion,  letting  the  class  leader  suggest  that  the  pupils  ask 
in  sentence  prayers  for  help  in  deciding  for  God  and  the 
right.  Make  the  session  practical,  showing  how  impor¬ 
tant  seemingly  small  decisions  for  the  right  may  turn 
out  to  be.  Review  the  choices  of  some  of  the  characters 
about  whom  we  have  studied  in  the  past,  both  Biblical 
and  non-Biblical,  such  as  Jacob,  Joseph,  Moses,  Polycarp, 


TO  THE  TEACHER 


lxxix 


Luther,  Carey.  Show  how  these  men  all  decided  for  God 
and  the  right. 

Chapter  XXXVII 

Week  Day  Session.  The  Teacher’s  Aim  :  To  give  to  the 
pupils  a  general  idea  of  the  history  of  the  Israelites  at  the 
time  of  the  Judges. 

The  period  of  the  history  of  Israel  is  frequently  passed 
over  in  Sunday-school  lessons,  but  it  is  interesting  and 
important  in  showing  the  settlement  of  the  people  in  the 
land  of  Canaan.  The  pupils  have  been  given  the  names 
of  the  first  two  judges,  as  they  are  given  in  Judges,  chap¬ 
ters  1  to  3,  and  a  bit  about  each  of  them.  In  connection 
with  this,  you  might  point  out  on  the  map  the  sections  of 
the  land  in  which  the  most  important  tribes  of  the  Israel¬ 
ites  were  settled.  It  will  not  be  necessary  to  go  into 
detail  about  all  the  tribes,  but  point  out  that  Simeon  was 
in  the  far  south;  Judah  just  north  of  Simeon;  Gad  and 
Reuben  across  the  Jordan  ;  Asher,  Zebulun,  and  NTaphtali 
in  the  extreme  north,  where  they  were  most  open  to  at¬ 
tacks  of  enemies. 

Each  tribe  was  a  separate  little  state,  and  there  was 
little  unity  in  this  period  of  history.  So,  in  Judges  1 :3, 
we  read  that  Judah  and  Simeon  fought  against  the 
Canaanites,  and  in  chapter  T  :10,  it  is  men  of  Zebulun  and 
Xaphtali  who  bear  the  brunt  of  the  battle.  It  is  as  if 
Maine  and  Xew  York  fought  against  Canada,  and  Texas 
against  Mexico,  without  the  intervention  of  people  of 
other  states  of  the  Union.  God’s  people  had  not  yet  be¬ 
come  a  united  nation.  To  show  how  this  unity  came 
about  is  the  aim  of  these  lessons  on  the  period  of  the 
Judges. 

Sunday  Session.  The  Teacher’s  Aim :  To  show  God’s 
mercy  to  the  people  even  though  they  sinned  so  many 
times  against  him. 

In  the  story  of  Deborah  and  Barak  bring  out  the 
miraculous  way  in  which  God  helped  the  Israelites  once 
more.  Compare  Deborah's  song  with  the  song  of  Moses 
and  Miriam  at  the  crossing  of  the  Red  Sea,  Exodus,  chap¬ 
ter  15.  Ask  the  pupils  whether  they  find  anything  simi¬ 
lar  between  Miriam  and  Deborah.  (Both  are  called 


lx  XX 


TO  THE  TEACHER 


“  prophetess,”  but  Deborah  alone  actually  foresaw  the 
future.  There  are  two  other  prophetesses  in  the  Old 
Testament,  Huldah,  II  Kings  22:14,  and  Noadiah,  Nehe- 
miah  6  :14.) 

Ask  the  pupils  to  find  the  name  of  another  Deborah  in 
the  Old  Testament.  This  second  Deborah  “  dwelt  under 
the  palm  tree,”  which  probably  grew  over  the  grave  of 
the  first  Deborah,  the  nurse  of  Rebekah,  Genesis  35 :8, 
who  had  been  buried  “  there  under  an  oak,”  many  centu¬ 
ries  before.  “  A  wide-spreading  terebinth  overshadowed 
the  burial  place  of  Deborah  the  nurse;  the  branches  of  a 
graceful  palm  waved  over  the  oracle  of  Deborah  the 
prophetess.” 

Do  not  dwell  upon  the  killing  of  Sisera  by  Jael.  This 
was  a  breach  of  hospitality  which  it  would  have  been 
hard  to  forgive  in  those  days,  though  it  was  not  consid¬ 
ered  a  crime,  as  we  would  consider  it.  “To  her  Sisera 
was  a  ruthless  tyrant,  the  violator  of  Hebrew  homes,  the 
man  who  had  lifted  himself  proudly  against  Jehovah. 
And  swiftly,  sternly,  she  executed  what  she  believed  to 
be  a  righteous  vengeance.  We  can  appreciate  her  cour¬ 
age,  her  intrepidity,  and  the  faith  which  was  its  main¬ 
spring,  even  though  we  reprobate  the  means  which  she 
took  to  accomplish  her  end.  And  whilst  we  censure  her, 
let  us  take  heed  that  a  like  courage,  a  like  intrepidity,  and 
a  still  higher  faith,  are  the  characteristics  of  our  warfare 
as  good  soldiers  of  Jesus  Christ.” 

Expressional  Session.  The  Teacher’s  Aim  :  To  lead  the 
pupils  to  feel  and  to  express  the  feeling  that  God  helps 
those  who  go  in  the  right  way,  and  try  to  lead  others,  too, 
in  the  paths  of  righteousness. 

The  pupils  should  be  impressed  during  the  session  with 
the  lesson  that  the  leader  for  the  right  is  the  man  who  in 
the  first  place  has  learned  the  right  for  himself,  and  can 
obey.  He  can  command  others  who  first  commands  him¬ 
self.  In  order  to  lead  others  in  the  right  path,  one  must 
himself  know  the  right  path. 

Perhaps  you  are  familiar  with  the  magic-maze  puzzles 
which  are  frequently  given  in  children’s  magazines,  where 
the  problem  is  to  find  the  shortest  path  to  the  center  of  a 
circle  or  a  square  which  is  filled  with  numerous  “  paths,” 


TO  THE  TEACHER 


lxxxi 


having  numerous  entrances.  If  you  can  find  one  of  these 
puzzles  in  a  St.  Nicholas,  for  instance,  make  a  copy  of  it 
on  the  blackboard.  Ask  the  pupils  to  trace  their  way  to 
the  center.  Probably  they  will  not  be  able  to  do  so  at  the 
first  attempt.  After  they  have  tried  several  times,  take  a 
blue  crayon  and  mark  the  shortest  way  to  the  center. 
This  shows  how  much  easier  it  is  to  go  straight  if  we 
know  the  way.  If  we  wander  around  without  any  guid¬ 
ance,  we  often  make  mistakes.  But  if  we  learn  the  right 
way,  and  follow  the  right  leader,  we  can  go  straight  to 
our  goal.  And  when  we  ourselves  know  the  right  path, 
we  can  show  others,  leading  them  also  to  the  right,  as 
God  would  have  us  do. 

Chapter  XXXVIII 

Week  Day  Session.  The  Teacher's  Aim:  To  show  the 
historical  background  of  the  story  of  Gideon,  and  to 
teach  that  God  calls  every  one  of  us  to  work  for  him. 

Ophrah,  where  Gideon  lived  at  the  time  of  the  lesson, 
was  a  village  west  of  the  Jordan  River,  held  by  a  family 
of  Manasseh.  Its  site  is  uncertain. 

Make  as  vivid  as  possible  the  picture  of  Gideon  thresh¬ 
ing  grain  in  secret,  while  the  enemy,  as  numerous  as  the 
sands  of  the  sea,  overran  the  land.  The  Israelites  had 
lost  all  faith  in  the  true  God,  it  seems ;  but  God  saw  some 
good  in  Gideon,  the  son  of  Joash.  Joash  was  an  idol  wor¬ 
shiper,  just  as  Terah,  the  father  of  Abraham,  had  been. 
Yet  the  sons  of  both  these  idol  worshipers  became  leaders 
for  the  true  God.  As  so  often  since  those  days,  he  chose 
men  from  unlikely  places  to  serve  him,  and  to  lead  others 
to  him.  Ask  the  pupils  to  find  and  compare  the  visit  of 
the  three  angels  to  Abraham,  Genesis  18:1-8,  with  the 
visit  of  the  angel  to  Gideon.  Ask  them  to  try  to  remem¬ 
ber  any  other  angel  messengers  about  whom  they  have 
studied.  (Jacob,  Genesis  28:11-17;  Joshua,  Joshua  5:13- 
15,  for  instance,  in  the  Old  Testament;  Alary  and  Zaeh- 
arias  in  the  New  Testament  stories  of  the  first  year.) 

As  handwork  the  pupils  may  enjoy  making  a  poster  of 
agricultural  scenes  in  Palestine,  to  go  with  this  lesson, 
and  those  about  Ruth.  Use  the  picture  of  threshing 
given  on  page  384,  as  a  basis  for  one  part  of  the  poster. 


lxxxii 


TO  THE  TEACHER 


Make  three  separate  divisions,  one  division  showing  the 
methods  of  sowing;  one  showing  reaping;  the  third  show¬ 
ing  threshing.  Pictures  which  will  help  with  the  first  two 
sections  will  be  found  in  Chapter  XEI,  but  you  may  begin 
with  the  last,  as  it  fits  best  with  this  lesson. 

Sunday  Session.  The  Teacher’s  Aim  ;  To  show  how 
God  helps  his  followers  to  be  brave  in  doing  his  work. 

Explain  something  about  Baal  and  Ashtoreth,  the 
heathen  gods  whom  the  Israelites  at  this  time  were  wor¬ 
shiping  instead  of  the  true  God.  Davis’  “  Dictionary  of 
the  Bible  ”  gives  the  following  account  of  them  : 

“  Ash  era  ri.  A  word  uniformly  translated  grove  in  the 
Authorized  Version.  ...  It  was  something  upright  made 
of  wood,  Exodus  34:13,  originally,  perhaps,  the  trunk  of 
a  tree  with  the  branches  chopped  off,  and  was  regarded 
as  the  wooden  symbol  of  a  goddess  Asherah,  who  like 
Ashtoreth,  was  the  type  of  abounding  fertility:  It  was 
erected  beside  the  altar  of  Baal.” 

“Baal  [master  lord,  possessor! .  A  sun  god,  exhibiting 
different  aspects  of  the  solar  energy,  the  center  of  whose 
worship  was  Phoenicia,  whence  it  spread  to  the  neighbor¬ 
ing  countries.  Baal  was  adored  on  high  places  in  Moab 
as  early  as  the  days  of  Balaam  and  Balak  (Numbers 
22:41).  In  the  time  of  the  Judges  he  had  altars  within 
the  country  of  the  Israelites  (Judges  2:13;  6:28-32).” 

Gideon  showed  his  bravery  in  destroying  the  represen¬ 
tations  of  these  heathen  gods.  He  received  a  new  name 
becaue  he  did  this.  What  was  his  new  name?  (Have 
some  one  read  Judges  6:31,  32.)  What  new  name  did 
Abram  receive?  (Genesis  17:5.)  Jacob?  (Genesis 
32:28.)  Many  times  people  receive  new  names  when 
they  turn  to  the  worship  of  the  true  God.  Many  times 
they  suffer  persecution  and  hatred,  just  as  Gideon  risked 
doing,  just  as  the  young  Hindu  told  about  on  page 
391  did. 

Bring  the  lesson  down  to  the  pupils’  own  lives,  show¬ 
ing  that  if  they  stand  up  for  the  right,  they  will  some¬ 
times  find  themselves  opposed  and  standing  alone,  but 
that  in  the  end,  ai?d  with  God’s  help,  they  will  win  out 
as  Gideon  did.  “  One  with  God  is  a  majority.” 

Expressional  Session.  The  Teacher’s  Aim  :  To  lead  the 


TO  THE  TEACHER 


lxxxiii 


pupils  to  feel  and  to  express  the  feeling  that  it  is  neces¬ 
sary  for  them  to  take  responsibilities,  even  when  they 
hesitate,  in  order  to  prepare  them  for  the  future. 

Boys  and  girls  of  Junior  age  differ  very  greatly  in  the 
matter  of  assuming  responsibilities.  Some  of  them  are 
only  too  eager  to  accept  them,  though  they  are  not  always 
reliable  in  carrying  out  the  duty  which  they  have  taken 
upon  themselves.  Others,  like  Gideon  and  Moses,  hesi¬ 
tate.  It  is  for  this  latter  class  that  this  lesson  is  particu¬ 
larly  intended.  They  should  be  made  to  feel  that  God 
wants  every  man  and  woman  to  do  his  share  in  the 
world's  work.  He  can  do  his  best  by  preparing  for  re¬ 
sponsibility  when  a  child.  He  can  never  be  a  leader,  or 
make  a  success  in  life,  in  any  sense,  if  he  avoids  responsi¬ 
bility.  If  you  can  make  the  pupils  see  their  duty  in 
assuming  responsibility  and  then  in  being  conscientious 
in  the  performance  of  the  duty  which  they  have  assumed, 
the  aim  of  the  lesson  is  accomplished. 

Chapter  XXXIX 

Week  Day  Session.  The  Teacher's  Aim:  To  give  to 
the  pupils  the  remainder  of  the  story  of  Gideon. 

Have  put  on  the  blackboard  the  sketch  map  of  the 
scene  of  the  battle  between  Gideon’s  forces  and  the  forces 
of  the  Midianites.  Have  the  story  told  as  vividly  as  pos¬ 
sible.  Let  the  pupils  read  the  description  of  the  way  in 
which  the  men  of  Gideon  drank,  and  then  let  them  show 
how  they  think  the  three  hundred  proved  that  they  were 
alert  and  watchful.  The  careless  men  laid  aside  their 
weapons  and  knelt.  The  three  hundred  who  lapped  “  as 
a  dog  lappeth,”  dipped  their  hands  in  the  stream,  and 
drank  from  them  as  from  a  cup.  Point  out,  too,  that  it 
was  usually  only  the  leaders  who  carried  trumpets.  The 
Midianites,  hearing  the  noise  of  three  hundred  trumpets, 
would  think  that  there  were  three  hundred  leaders,  and  a 
correspondingly  large  force  of  men.  But  back  of  all, 
God’s  hand  was  directing  and  guiding. 

The  story  is  full  of  dramatic  incidents,  and  you 
may  prefer  to  have  the  pupils  give  an  impromptu 
dramatization. 


lxxxiv 


TO  THE  TEACHER 


Sunday  Session.  The  Teacher’s  Aim :  To  give  the 
pupils  additional  facts  in  connection  with  the  period  of 
the  Judges,  and  to  continue  the  teaching  about  true  lead¬ 
ership,  which  is  being  emphasized  in  these  lessons. 

The  fable  of  Jotham  concerning  the  bramble-bush  king 
is  one  of  the  two  fables  given  in  the  Old  Testament,  the 
other  being  II  Kings  14:9.  The  fable  and  the  parable  are 
different  in  that  the  standpoint  of  the  parable  is  “  heav¬ 
enly,  not  earthly  ;  it  is  so  arranged  that,  through  natural 
objects,  it  conveys  spiritual  instruction  to  the  mind,  it 
invites  thought  to  the  eternal  side  of  things,  to  the  deeper 
and  higher  verities  of  the  moral  universe.  The  fable  is 
earthly  in  its  point,  in  its  aim.  It  is  intended  to  teach 
lessons  of  prudence,  of  wise  conduct,  of  foresight  in 
action.  The  parable  never  reverses  the  order  of  nature; 
the  fable  does.  Animals  speak,  laugh,  reason,  instruct. 
In  the  two  Old  Testament  fables,  it  is  not  animals  but 
trees :  in  the  fable  before  us,  trees  discourse  to  excellent 
purpose.” 

The  lesson  for  our  pupils  to  gain  through  this  fable  is 
the  importance  of  preparation,  of  being  a  worthy  leader, 
instead  of  one  who  merely  “  shows  off.”  A  true  leader  is 
truly  modest,  not  calling  attention  to  himself  and  his  own 
good  qualities,  but  really  deserving  them  when  they  come 
to  him.  The  bramble-bush  king  did  not  deserve  his  hon¬ 
ors.  He  was  unwilling  to  share,  and  assumed  far  more 
authority  than  was  rightfully  his  due.  The  lesson  that 
true  leaders  do  not  act  in  this  way,  but  are  those  who 
serve  rather  than  those  who  receive  service,  is  to  be  em¬ 
phasized.  Bring  the  conclusion  by  pointing  out  that  the 
greatest  Leader  of  all  came  “  not  to  be  ministered  unto, 
but  to  minister,”  and  has  left  for  his  true  followers  an 
ideal  of  service. 

Expressional  Session.  The  Teacher’s  Aim :  To  help  the 
pupils  to  feel  and  express  a  desire  to  be  true  leaders — 
that  is,  leaders  for  the  right. 

Bring  the  pupils  to  a  desire  to  lead  others  in  the  right 
way.  Show  that  there  can  be  leaders  in  wrong  ways  as 
well  as  in  right  ways,  and  point  out  the  difference  be¬ 
tween  true  leaders  and  those  who  are  not  true.  Bring  out 
the  qualities  asked  for  under  Topics  for  Discussion  or 


TO  THE  TEACHER 


lxxxv 


Reports,  and  ask  whether  a  leader  who  is  not  a  “  true  ” 
leader  would  have  these  qualities.  Make  the  examples 
very  simple. 

(a)  Knowledge.  If  John  offers  to  show  you  the  way 
through  the  woods  by  a  short  cut,  and  then  becomes  con¬ 
fused,  so  that  you  are  lost,  he  is  not  a  “  true  ”  leader.  Tie 
does  not  have  knowledge. 

(b)  Will  Power.  If  Mary  has  strength  of  will,  so  that 
she  can  give  up  the  things  which  she  knows  are  not  good 
for  her,  even  when  she  likes  them,  she  has  one  of  the 
qualities  of  a  “  true  ”  leader. 

(c)  Perseverance.  If  at  first  Walter  does  not  succeed, 
but  tries  again,  he  has  a  chance  to  become  a  leader. 

(d)  If  Mabel  boasts  of  how  well  she  can  spell,  and 
then  is  beaten  in  the  test  by  Jane,  who  has  not  said  a 
word  about  her  ability,  which  girl  is  fitted  for  leadership? 

(e)  Cooperation.  Helen  is  praised  for  the  delicious 
cake  that  she  has  made.  She  fails  to  give  credit  to  Paul¬ 
ine,  who  has  beaten  the  eggs,  and  Pauline’s  feelings  are 
hurt.  She  was  not  given  credit  for  Avhat  she  did,  and  so 
does  not  help  another  time.  A  “  true  ”  leader  would  have 
given  her  credit,  and  she  would  have  been  led  in  the  way 
of  helping. 

In  this  way  emphasize  as  many  of  the  qualities  of  a 
true  leader  as  you  have  time  to  do,  showing  the  pupils 
practical  examples,  and  then  asking  that  they  themselves 
supply  others. 

Chapter  XL 

Week  Day  Session.  The  Teacher’s  Aim:  To  continue 
the  instruction  of  the  pupils  in  the  history  of  Israel  during 
the  time  of  the  Judges,  with  particular  reference  to 
Samson. 

The  names  of  the  various  judges  of  Israel  have  been 
given  in  the  pupil's  lesson.  In  the  main  very  little  infor¬ 
mation  is  given  in  regard  to  these  men,  though  there  is  an 
extended  account  of  Jephthah.  Possibly  you  may  want 
to  compare  the  story  of  Jephthah’s  daughter  with  the 
story  of  that  in  Iphegenia,  in  Greek  legend.  Have  the 
pupils  finish  the  “  scroll  ”  containing  the  names  of  the 
judges  which  they  began  with  Lesson  XXXVII. 


lxxxvi 


TO  THE  TEACHER 


Another  comparison  often  made  between  Greek  legend 
and  the  history  of  Israel  in  this  period  is  found  between 
the  deeds  of  Hercules  and  those  of  Samson.  If  you  care 
to  look  up  the  “  twelve  labors  of  Hercules  ”  you  can  make 
the  comparison  for  yourself. 

In  the  pupil’s  lesson  there  has  been  made  a  brief  com¬ 
parison  between  the  birth  of  Samson  and  that  of  John  the 
Baptist.  In  making  this  comparison  you  can  review 
briefly  some  of  the  material  which  was  given  to  the  pupil 
in  the  first  year’s  work,  “  Jesus,  the  Light  of  the  World.” 

In  connection  with  this  lesson  have  for  the  pupils  small 
copies  of  the  Dore  picture  of  Samson  and  the  Lion,  which 
may  be  obtained  from  the  Wilde  Picture  Company,  for  a 
very  small  sum.  If  it  is  not  possible  to  have  these  at  least 
have  a  large  copy  of  the  picture.  Point  out  to  the  pupils 
the  indications  of  Samson’s  strength — his  long  hair,  and 
so  on. 

Sunday  Session.  The  Teacher’s  Aim:  To  show  that 
strength  of  body  does  not  necessarily  mean  strength  of 
will,  and  that  a  “  strong  ”  man  or  woman  is  not  necessa¬ 
rily  strong  in  body. 

In  this  connection  use  the  life  history  of  some  of  our 
great  Americans  who  had  strong  wills  even  although  their 
bodies  were  weak.  Speak  of  Theodore  Roosevelt’s  strug¬ 
gle  in  his  youth  with  ill  health — how  he  determined  to  do 
everything  in  his  power  to  be  strong  in  body.  His  strong 
will  made  him  work  to  obtain  a  strong  body.  In  the  case 
of  Helen  Keller,  a  strong  will  could  not  overcome  the 
bodily  weakness,  but  made  the  most  of  what  she  had.  It 
was  the  same  in  the  case  of  Paul,  of  whom  we  read  in  the 
Epistle  to  the  Corinthians,  II  Corinthians  10:10,  that  they 
said,  “  Plis  letters  .  .  .  are  weighty  and  strong;  bi;t  his 
bodily  presence  is  weak.”  Samson  started  in  life  with  all 
sorts  of  advantages.  He  was  to  be  a  leader  of  the  Israel¬ 
ites.  But  his  will  was  weak.  He  was  ready  to  yield  to 
temptation,  and  so  failed  as  a  leader  for  God  and  the 
right.  He  redeemed  himself  by  the  end  of  his  life,  but  he 
would  have  served  Israel  better  had  he  learned  to  be 
strong  in  every  way. 

With  this  lesson  show  Verdier’s  picture  of  Samson  car¬ 
rying  away  the  gates  of  Gaza,  and  Dore’s  picture  of  him 


TO  THE  TEACHER 


lxxxyii 


breaking  down  the  pillars  of  the  temple  of  Dagon.  Both 
of  these  may  be  obtained  from  the  Wilde  Picture 
Company. 

Expressional  Session.  The  Teacher’s  Aim  :  To  help  the 
pupils  to  feel  that  they  need  not  be  discouraged  if  they 
make  mistakes,  but  that  they  must  ask  God  for  help,  and 
try  to  right  the  wrongs  that  they  have  done. 

In  this  connection  you  may  have  access  to  “  Men  Who 
Made  Good,’’  by  John  T.  Faris,  which  will  give  you 
stories  which  will  help  you  in  teaching  this  lesson.  The 
book  contains  many  stories  of  those  who  had  to  struggle 
with  adversity  of  various  kinds,  but  who  won  success  as 
leaders,  in  spite  of  handicaps.  Bring  out  with  the  pupils 
the  fact  that  everyone  in  all  the  world  makes  mistakes, 
and  that  even  those  whom  God  has  used  as  his  strongest 
leaders  for  the  right  have  had  to  fight  against  some  weak¬ 
ness  of  body  or  of  will  or  of  circumstance.  A  failure  is 
not  a  disgrace,  if  one  takes  the  failure  in  the  right  spirit. 
God  gives  a  second  chance  to  those  Avho  have  learned  the 
lesson  which  a  first  failure  has  taught  them.  The  baby 
learns  to  walk  by  falling  again  and  again,  and  then  pick¬ 
ing  himself  up.  So  Christian  men  and  women  and  boys 
and  girls  should  do.  Show  the  pupils  that  they  should 
have  confidence  in  themselves,  and  in  God’s  promises 
for  them  if  they  follow  his  commands.  Be  sure,  how¬ 
ever,  that  they  do  not  express  themselves  egotistically. 
“  There's  a  vast  difference  between  egotism  and  self- 
confidence.  Nothing  wrong  with  a  dollar  claiming  it’s 
worth  a  hundred  cents,  is  there?  The  fault  would  be 
claiming  anything  less  for  itself.  A  child  will  grow  and 
expand  because  of  self-confidence.  He  will  learn  to  de¬ 
velop  qualities  and  a  character  that  will  have  to  live  up 
to  his  self-esteem." 


Ch  after  XLI 

Week  Day  Session.  The  Teacher’s  Aim  :  To  give  to 
the  pupils  the  historic  background  of  the  Book  of  Ruth. 

Ruth  probably  lived  in  the  latter  part  of  the  period  of 
the  Judges,  sixty  years  or  more  before  the  birth  of  David. 
It  is  usually  thought  that  she  lived  in  the  time  of  Eli,  as 


lxxxviii 


TO  THE  TEACHER 


this  fits  in  with  the  fact  that  she  was  the  great-grand¬ 
mother  of  David. 

Use  this  lesson  as  an  opportunity  for  a  geographical 
review,  telling  how  the  family  of  Elimelech  traveled  from 
the  hill  town  of  Bethlehem,  northeast  to  the  level  of  the 
Jordan,  which  they  probably  crossed  at  the  fords  of  the 
Jordan,  thus  passing  into  the  territory  of  Moab.  The 
Moabites  were  heathen  descendants  of  Lot's  son,  Moab. 
During  the  time  of  the  Judges  there  was  almost  constant 
war  between  them  and  the  Israelites,  but  at  this  time,  as 
later,  in  the  days  of  David,  I  Samuel  22  :3,  4,  there  was  a 
friendly  relationship  between  them  and  the  Jews. 

Pictures  to  use  with  the  lesson  may  be  obtained  from 
the  A  ilde  or  the  Perry  Pictures  Company.  Calderon’s 
Ruth  and  Xaomi  is  beautiful,  as  is  Ruth  Gleaning,  by 
Bruck-Lajos.  Other  pictures  are  by  Bida,  Hubner,  and 
Cabanel. 

Sunday  Session.  The  Teacher’s  Aim:  To  show  the 
pupils  the  results  of  Ruth’s  love  for  Naomi  and  kindness 
to  her,  and  to  lead  them  to  try  to  follow  her  example  in 
caring  for  their  elders. 

Ruth’s  kindness  to  Naomi  is  followed  by  Boaz’  kind¬ 
ness  to  Ruth;  and  Ruth’s  reward  was  a  place  in  Jesus’ 
ancestry.  A  reward  so  great  as  this  does  not  always  fol¬ 
low  our  acts  of  kindness.  Ruth  did  not  know  that  her 
great-grandson  was  to  become  king  of  Israel ;  her  later 
descendant  the  Saviour  of  the  world.  Yet  we  who  live 
three  thousand  years  later  know  it.  Our  little  deeds  of 
kindness  often  have  unexpected  results,  which  we  never 
can  trace.  “  For  the  want  of  the  nail  the  shoe  was  lost,” 
is  an  old  saying  which  contains  a  principle  that  is  true  of 
kindness  as  well  as  of  other  things. 

Many  customs  of  Israel  in  the  time  of  the  Judges  are 
given  in  the  Book  of  Ruth.  The  right  of  a  nearest  rela¬ 
tive  of  a  dead  man  to  his  property ;  the  method  of  binding 
a  bargain  by  removing  the  shoe ;  the  methods  of  agricul¬ 
ture,  are  points  that  show  the  life  and  manners  of  the 
time.  You  may  want  to  use  these  points  in  connection 
with  the  lesson,  and  you  may  find  information  in  Davis’ 
Bible  Dictionary  under  the  headings  “  Ruth,”  “  shoe,” 
and  “  agriculture.” 


TO  THE  TEACHER 


lxxxix 


Expressional  Session.  The  Teacher’s  Aim  :  To  lead  the 
pupils  to  express  a  determination  to  be  loving  and  re¬ 
spectful  to  their  elders. 

Stories  emphasizing  this  point  may  be  found  in  Sly’s 
“  World  Stories  Retold,’’  under  the  heading  “  Love— to 
Parents,’’  and  in  many  other  books  of  young  people’s 
stories.  Let  the  pupils  name  some  Bible  children  who 
grew  in  favor  both  with  God  and  man,  such  as  Samuel, 
David,  Naaman’s  little  maid,  Jesus. 

Chapter  XLII 

Week  Day  Session.  The  Teacher’s  Aim:  To  introduce 
to  the  pupils  the  boy  Samuel,  and  to  show  the  back¬ 
ground  in  which  he  lived. 

The  story  of  Samuel  comes  at  the  end  of  the  period  of 
the  Judges,  and  forms  a  transition  to  the  period  of  the 
Kings,  which  we  begin  with  our  next  year’s  work.  His 
boyhood  falls  in  the  judgeship  of  Eli :  his  later  manhood 
and  old  age  when  Saul  and  David  were  kings.  Make  tjie 
picture  of  the  life  of  the  time  as  vivid  as  possible.  Show 
how  the  tabernacle  had  been  placed  at  Shiloh  in  the  time 
of  Joshua,  but  that  many  of  the  people  forgot  the  wor¬ 
ship  of  the  true  God,  and  failed  to  keep  his  commands. 
Speak  of  the  passover  feast,  and  remind  the  pupils  of  the 
events  which  it  commemorated.  Then  tell  about  Eli,  who 
was  not  only  priest,  but  also  judge  :  he  was  an  old  man  at 
this  time,  when  Samuel  was  brought  to  him,  and  was  fail¬ 
ing  in  his  powers,  as  shown  by  the  way  in  which  he  al¬ 
lowed  his  sons  to  act. 

Do  not  bring  out  the  fact  that  Elkanah  had  two  wives, 
unless  the  pupils  themselves  mention  it.  Then  say  simply 
that  this  was  the  custom  of  the  times,  though  not  always 
general. 

Sunday  Session.  The  Teacher’s  Aim:  To  set  before 
the  pupils  the  example  of  Samuel  which  they  may  follow 
in  their  own  lives. 

Have  the  pupils  review  the  construction  of  the  taber¬ 
nacle,  and  show  a  seven-branched  candlestick,  saying  that 
lighting  and  extinguishing  this  was  one  of  Samuel's  du¬ 
ties  as  he  grew  older.  Bring  out  the  fact  that  he  led  about 


xc 


TO  THE  TEACHER 


the  old  priest,  who  was  nearly  blind.  He  slept  close  to 
the  old  man,  so  that  he  could  answer  his  call  at  night 
Show  that  Samuel  really  worked  very  hard  for  a  twelve- 
year-old.  Ask  if  the  pupils  think  that  he  had  any  play¬ 
time?  Any  playmates?  Even  although  he  did,  he  was 
not  so  care  free  as  are  our  Juniors  of  to-day.  Yet  he  per¬ 
formed  his  duties  well  and  cheerfully.  He  won  favor  with 
God  and  man.  Tell  of  his  joy  when  the  time  came  for 
one  of  the  great  feasts  when  his  mother  and  father  and 
younger  brothers  and  sisters  would  be  present,  and  the 
anticipation  of  his  meeting  with  them.  Picture  him  as  a 
normal  boy,  with  a  keen  intellect  and  a  keen  sense  of 
responsibility,  developed  on  account  of  his  association 
with  older  people.  Do  not  make  him  out  a  prig,  but  just 
a  boy,  whose  example  it  is  possible  for  boys  and  girls  of 
to-day  to  follow. 

A  picture  that  may  be  used  with  the  lesson  is  Samuel, 
by  Sir  Joshua  Reynolds. 

Expressional  Session.  The  Teacher's  Aim  :  To  lead  the 
pupils  to  express  a  desire  to  follow  the  example  of 
Samuel. 

Let  the  pupils  themselves  select  the  characteristics  in 
the  boy  Samuel  which  they  should  emulate.  A  number 
of  these  have  been  given  in  their  lesson.  Put  these  on 
the  blackboard.  Then  add  the  following  acrostic,  asking 
in  what  ways  Samuel  showed  himself  to  have  the  sug¬ 
gested  qualities. 

Sanctified.  (Before  his  birth.) 

Alert.  (He  was  ready  at  the  instant  that  he  thought  he 
was  called  by  Eli.) 

Manageable.  (He  did  as  Eli  told  him  to  do,  without 
objection.) 

Untiring.  (He  did  his  duty  unfailingly.) 

Earnest.  (In  the  way  he  received  God's  command.) 
Loving.  (He  “  increased  in  favor  with  .  .  .  men,”  and 
in  every  way  showed  his  love  for  Eli.) 

Show  the  pupils  that  they  themselves  can  have  many 
of  the  qualities  of  the  child  Samuel,  and  tell  some  inci¬ 
dents  of  children  of  modern  times  who  have  shown  simi¬ 
lar  characteristics. 


GOD  CARING  FOR  HIS  PEOPLE  IN  THE 
BEGINNING  OF  THE  WORLD 


CHAPTER  I 

WEEK  DAY  SESSION 

“  IN  THE  BEGINNING  ” 

Genesis  1 : 1-19 
The  Memory  Verse 

“  In  the  beginning  God  created  the  heavens  and  the  earth.” 

— Genesis  1:1. 


The  Lesson  Story 

The  most  wonderful  book  that  has  ever  been  known  is  the 
Bible — the  Book  in  which  God  has  given  to  his  people  in 
the  world  the  record  of  what  he  has  done  for  us.  It  is  the 
source  of  our  knowledge  of  what  he  wants  us  to  believe  and 
of  how  he  wants  us  to  live.  The  Bible  has  come  down  to 
us  through  many  generations.  Its  writers  were  inspired  by 
God.  It  has  been  preserved  in  miraculous  ways  from  the 
hands  of  those  who  would  have  destroyed  it  forever. 

The  Bible  is  one  Book,  but  it  is  made  up  of  sections,  which 
we  also  call  “  books.”  The  first  of  these  sections,  or  books, 
which  you  will  find  in  your  copy  of  the  Bible,  is  Genesis. 

If  you  will  look  in  the  dictionary,  you  will  find  that  the 
word  “  genesis  ”  means  “  the  origination  or  coming  into  being 
of  anything,”  which  is,  of  course,  the  same  as  “  beginning,” 
and  that  is  what  the  Bible  book,  Genesis,  is — the  storv  of 
the  beginnings  of  things,  as  men  inspired  by  God  have  writ¬ 
ten  them  down  for  us.  Many  men  have  studied  the  book 
of  Genesis ;  many  times  they  have  said  that  the  accounts  of 
things  given  there  could  not  be  true.  But  as  our  knowledge 
increases,  as  men  grow  to  know  more  and  more  of  what  hap¬ 
pened  in  the  past,  they  come  to  see  more  and  more  clearlv 
that  the  Bible  is  true,  and  that  those  who  thought  it  was 
wrong  were  themselves  mistaken. 

Look  at  the  first  words  of  the  first  verse  of  Genesis — 


3 


4 


JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 


“  In  the  beginning.”  That  is  the  way  in  which  our  Bible 
commences.  “  In  the  beginning  God  created  the  heavens  and 
the  earth.”  What  existed  before  that  time,  we  do  not  know, 
except  that  there  was  God — the  Creator  of  our  world  and  of 
all  that  is  in  it ;  the  Creator  not  only  of  our  world,  but  of  all 
the  universe. 

At  first  the  earth  was  waste  and  without  form.  There 
was  no  light.  A  great  expanse  of  water  stretched  every¬ 
where,  and  the  Spirit  of  God  moved  over  it.  And  then 
God  spoke,  “  Let  there  be  light,”  and  there  was  light.  Day 
and  night  were  created,  evening  and  morning,  though  as  yet 
there  were  no  sun,  no  moon,  no  stars — just  light  and  dark¬ 
ness.  And  all  this  God  did  in  one  day.  (But  we  must  re¬ 
member  that  there  was  as  yet  no  sun  to  rise  and  set — just 
light  and  darkness —  and  so  “  the  day  ”  was  not  measured  as 
we  measure  our  time.) 

God  spoke  again,  “  Let  there  be  a  firmament  in  the  midst 
of  the  waters.”  The  firmament  is  the  heaven  above,  into 
which  we  look  at  night.  But  not  even  on  that  second  day 
were  there  sun  or  moon  or  stars,  such  as  we  see  when  we 
look  up  into  the  skies. 

On  the  third  day  God  spoke  again.  He  commanded  that 
the  waters  be  gathered  together,  and  that  dry  land  appear. 
God  called  the  gathering  together  of  the  waters  “  seas,”  and 
the  dry  land  he  called  “  earth.”  You  see  God  was  planning 
to  make  a  home  for  the  people  whom  he  was  going  to  create. 
The  next  command  that  he  gave  was  that  there  should  be 
on  the  earth  grass  and  herbs  and  fruit  trees — food  for  the 
living  things  for  whom  he  was  preparing  a  home. 

And  next  he  set  the  lights  in  the  sky — the  sun  to  rule  by 
day,  the  moon  by  night,  and  all  the  stars — the  lights  which 
divide  the  day  from  the  night,  and  regulate  the  seasons  and 
the  years. 

So  the  end  of  the  fourth  day  came.  The  earth  was  pre¬ 
pared  as  a  home  for  living  creatures.  Can  you  picture  it  as 
it  was  in  those  days  ?  There  were  the  sun  and  the  moon  and 
the  stars ;  there  were  great  stretches  of  sea  and  land  cov¬ 
ered  with  grass  and  plants  and  trees  of  all  kinds.  There 
was  everything  beautiful  to  look  at — but  no  one  to  see,  no 
one  to  hear.  There  was  not  a  fish  in  the  sea,  not  an  animal 
in  the  forest.  NY  sound  was  heard,  for  there  was  no  living 


JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 


5 


ear  to  hear  the  lapping  of  the  waves  against  the  shore,  or 
the  whisper  of  the  winds  in  the  branches  of  the  great  forest 
trees.  All  God’s  creation  was  ready  and  waiting,  but  as  yet 
there  was  no  living  thing  to  enjoy  the  good  gifts  which  God 
had  made  ready  in  his  world. 

Handwork 

If  you  have  a  sand  table  in  your  classroom,  make  a  sand 
picture  of  the  drawing  which  you  are  asked  to  make  for  the 
fourth  day  in  the  Notebook  Work.  Make  a  Hat  circle  of 
sand  as  large  as  your  table  will  allow.  Divide  this  into  sky, 
sea,  and  land.  Make  sun,  moon,  and  stars  from  paper  or 
tin  foil  to  set  in  the  sky ;  use  twigs  for  trees,  and  small  stones 
for  rocks.  Make  the  scene  as  complete  as  possible.  Leave 
it  for  your  next  session,  as  you  may  wish  to  add  to  it  then. 

Notebook  Work 

You  are  beginning  a  new  book  of  lessons  about  the  begin¬ 
nings  of  the  history  of  the  world.  If  you  can,  get  a  new, 
loose-leaf  blank  book.  On  the  first  page  put  your  own  name 
and  address,  and  the  name  of  your  Sunday  school  and  class. 
Leave  the  second  page  blank.  On  the  third  page  write  a 
title,  “  GOD  CARING  FOR  HIS  PEOPLE.”  Underneath 
this  write  in  smaller  letters,  “  Stories  of  the  Beginnings.”' 
On  the  next  page  write  the  title  of  this  first  chapter,  “  In  the 
Beginning.”  On  the  line  beneath  this,  write  the  words,  “  God 
the  Creator.”  Then  put  the  various  “  days  ”  given  in  Gen¬ 
esis  1  : 1  - 1 9. 

Day  1.  God  created  light  and  darkness. 

Day  2.  God  created - 

Day  3.  God  created - 

Day  4.  God  created - 

Perhaps  you  will  like  to  represent  these  things  by  pictures. 
If  you  do,  draw  a  series  of  five  circles.  Above  them,  write 
the  words,  “  In  the  Beginning,”  “  First  Day,”  “  Second  Day,” 
“  Third  Day,”  “  Fourth  Day.”  Leave  the  first  circle  blank. 
Divide  the  second  circle,  above  which  you  have  written 
“  First  Day,”  into  halves  by  a  vertical  line.  Make  one  side 


6 


JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 


dark,  and  leave  the  other  side  light.  Divide  the  third  circle 
by  a  horizontal  line.  This  will  indicate  the  making  of  the 
firmament.  In  the  fourth  circle  draw  a  horizontal  line  as  in 
the  third  circle.  Then  from  this  line  down  to  the  circum¬ 
ference  draw  a  wavy  line  to  show  the  separation  of  the 
waters  from  the  land.  Make  your  fifth  circle  like  the  fourth, 
but  put  in  the  part  above  the  horizontal  line  sun  and  moon 
and  stars,  to  show  that  on  this  day  God  created  the  lights  of 
heaven. 


Expressionae  Activity 

God  prepared  a  beautiful  world  for  his  children.  Can  you 
not  help  this  week  to  make  the  world  more  beautiful  for 
some  one  else  by  doing  a  kind  act,  or  by  saying  a  pleasant 
word,  or  by  helping  in  some  way?  At  least  you  can  keep 
from  being  cross  or  disagreeable. 

Memory  Work 

Learn  the  words  of  the  following  hymn.  It  was  written 
in  1712  by  Joseph  Addison,  a  great  writer  of  English  prose 
and  poetry. 


The  Spacious  Firmament 

The  spacious  firmament  on  high, 

With  all  the  blue,  ethereal  sky, 

And  spangled  heavens,  a  shining  frame, 
Their  great  Original  proclaim. 

The  unwearied  sun,  from  day  to  day, 
Does  his  Creator’s  power  display, 

And  publishes  to  every  land 
The  work  of  an  almighty  hand. 


Soon  as  the  evening  shades  prevail, 

The  moon  takes  up  the  wondrous  tale, 
And  nightly  to  the  listening  earth 
Repeats  the  story  of  her  birth  ; 

Whilst  all  the  stars  that  round  her  burn, 
And  all  the  planets  in  their  turn, 

Confirm  the  tidings  as  they  roll. 

And  spread  the  truth  from  pole  to  pole. 


FROM  THE  SIX  DAYS  OF  CREATION 


JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 


7 


What  though  in  solemn  silence  all 
Move  round  this  dark,  terrestrial  ball? 
What  though  nor  real  voice  nor  sound 
Amidst  their  radiant  orbs  be  found? 

In  reason's  ear  they  all  rejoice, 

And  utter  forth  a  glorious  voice; 

For  ever  singing,  as  they  shine, 

“  The  hand  that  made  us  is  divine.” 


SUNDAY  SESSION 

THE  CREATION  OF  LIFE 
Genesis  1  :20  to  2  :3 
The:  Memory  Verse 

“  And  God  saw  everything  that  he  had  made,  and,  behold, 
it  was  very  good.” — Genesis  1  :31a. 

The  Lesson  Story 

The  world  which  God  had  created  was  ready.  The  time 
had  come  for  the  creation  of  living  things,  and  so,  on  the 
fifth  day,  God  created  the  fish — at  first  the  smaller  fish,  and 
then  the  great  sea  monsters.  All  the  birds  were  made,  from 
the  smallest  to  the  largest,  at  his  command.  As  God  looked 
upon  them  he  saw  that  all  that  he  had  done  was  good — earth 
and  sky,  sun  and  moon  and  stars,  land  and  water,  birds  and 
fish.  He  blessed  them  all. 

On  the  sixth  day,  God  commanded  that  the  land  bring 
forth  living  things — cattle,  and  creeping  things,  and  beasts 
of  the  earth.  And  again  God  saw  that  all  was  good. 

And  then,  last  of  all,  on  the  sixth  day,  God  created  man — 
man,  made  in  his  own  image,  for  whom  he  had  planned  all 
the  other  good  gifts,  the  world  and  its  blessings,  the  grass 
and  the  flowers  and  the  trees ;  the  birds  and  the  animals  and 
the  fish.  To  man  he  gave  dominion  over  all  the  fish  and  the 
monsters  in  the  sea  ;  over  all  the  birds  in  the  air ;  over  all 
the  beasts  of  the  field.  He  gave  to  him  every  herb,  and  all 
the  fruit  of  the  earth.  He  made  him  master  of  the  world. 

Then,  after  the  work  of  creation  was  finished,  God  saw 
that  it  was  good.  On  the  seventh  day  he  rested  from  all  his 


8 


JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 


work  which  he  had  made.  And  so  “  God  blessed  the  sev¬ 
enth  day,  and  hallowed  it.”  And  because  God  rested  on  the 
seventh  day,  he  has  given  to  his  followers  in  the  world  the 
command  for  all  time,  “  Remember  the  Sabbath-day,  to  keep 
it  holy  ...  for  in  six  days  the  Lord  made  heaven  and 
earth,  the  sea,  and  all  that  in  them  is,  and  rested  the  seventh 
day :  wherefore  the  Lord  blessed  the  Sabbath-day,  and  hal¬ 
lowed  it.” 

God  made  man  in  his  own  image.  He  made  him  master 
in  a  beautiful  world,  where  every  good  gift  belonged  to  him. 
The  animals  obeyed  his  word.  The  trees  gave  him  fruit  of 
all  sorts  for  food.  Everything  belonged  to  him.  Do  you  not 
think  that  that  first  man  should  have  been  completely  happy 
in  the  beautiful  world  which  God  had  given  him?  Do  you 
not  think  that  you  would  have  been  happy?  But  the  great, 
wide,  beautiful,  wonderful  world  is  as  beautiful  and  won¬ 
derful  now  as  it  was  in  those  first  days.  Man  is  the  master 
now,  as  he  was  in  those  first  days,  for  he  is  the  only  living 
being  whom  God  has  created  in  his  own  image.  Do  you  not 
think  that  we  and  all  the  human  beings  in  the  world  should 
be  grateful  to  him  for  all  the  blessings  that  he  has  given  to 
us — for  all  the  marvelous  gifts  which  he  has  provided  for 
his  children?  Let  us  thank  him  for  all  the  blessings  which 
he  has  given  to  the  world — to  the  first  man  and  to  all  man¬ 
kind  since  those  first  days. 


The:  World 

Great,  wide,  beautiful,  wonderful  world, 
With  the  wonderful  water  round  you  curled. 
And  the  wonderful  grass  upon  your  breast — 
World,  you  are  beautifully  dressed. 


The  wonderful  air  is  over  me, 

And  the  wonderful  wind  is  shaking  the  tree, 
It  walks  on  the  water  and  whirls  the  mills, 
And  talks  to  itself  on  the  top  of  the  hills. 


You  friendly  earth!  How  far  you  go, 

With  the  wheat  fields  that  nod  and  the  rivers  that  flow, 
With  cities  and  gardens,  and  cliffs  and  isles, 

And  people  upon  you  for  thousands  of  miles  1 


JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 


9 


Ah!  You  are  so  great,  and  I  am  so  small, 

I  tremble  to  think  of  you,  world,  at  all ; 

And  yet  when  I  said  my  prayers  to-day, 

A  whisper  inside  me  seemed  to  say : 

“You  are  more  than  the  earth,  though  you  are  such  a  dot; 

You  can  love  and  think,  and  the  earth  cannot!  ” 

— William  Brighty  Rands. 

Putting  the  Lesson  Into  the  Life  of  the  Class 

God  made  man  in  his  own  image.  We  must  remember 
that  we  are  created  in  his  likeness,  and  try  to  make  ourselves 
more  and  more  like  him. 

We  can  become  more  and  more  like  God  the  Father  by 
trying  to  live  according  to  the  rules  which  Jesus  gave  to  the 
world  in  the  New  Testament. 

God  has  given  to  human  beings  very  many  wonderful 
gifts.  We  must  show  our  thanksgiving  to  him  by  obeying 
him,  by  going  to  church,  for  instance,  by  praising  him,  by 
telling  of  all  his  wonderful  works  in  all  the  world. 


The  Lesson  Truth  in  Your  Life 

God  created  the  world  and  all  that  is  in  it.  He  is  our 
Father  who  loves  those  whom  he  has  made,  to  whom  he  has 
given  many  good  gifts.  In  return  we  should  thank  him  for 
all  the  good  things  that  he  has  provided  for  us,  and  praise 
him  with  all  our  hearts. 


Memory  Work 

Learn  part  of  the  old  chant,  which  has  been  sung  for  many 
centuries  in  many  churches.  It  is  called  the  “  Benedicte, 
Omnia  Opera  Domini,”  the  words  with  which  it  begins  in 
Latin : 


“O  all  ye  works  of  the  Lord,  bless  ye  the  Lord; 

Praise  him  and  magnify  him  forever.” 

You  will  find  it  in  the  back  of  your  hymn  book,  number 
740.  Count  how  many  of  God’s  creations  are  named,  and 
how  many  times  the  words  “  Bless  ye  the  Lord  ”  are  used. 


10 


JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 


The  Story  of  the;  Creation  as  Told  by  Another  Nation 

Many  stories  of  the  Creation  have  been  told  by  the  other 
nations  of  the  world,  but  none  of  them  is  so  beautiful  as  that 
given  in  Genesis,  the  story  given  to  us  in  God’s  Book. 

One  of  the  old  stories  is  that  of  the  Babylonians,  who  lived 
at  the  same  time  as  the  Hebrews  of  the  later  part  of  the  Old 
Testament.  This  story  has  some  parts  which  are  very  much 
like  the  account  of  the  Creation  which  is  given  in  Genesis. 

It  was  not  until  1875  that  this  story  was  deciphered  by 
men  working  in  the  British  Museum.  It  was  written  in 
queer,  wedge-shaped  letters  on  clay  tablets  discovered  not 
very  many  years  before  in  the  library  of  the  great  Assyrian 
king  named  Ashurbanipal,  who  lived  in  Nippur,  in  Assyria, 
in  668-626  b.  c.  This  story  tells  of  a  great  god  named  Bel, 
or  Marduk,  who  fought  with  a  goddess  named  Tiamat,  and 
killed  her.  From  her  body  he  made  the  heavens  and  the 
earth. 

Though  this  is  foolish,  there  are  other  parts  of  the  story 
much  like  Genesis,  which  show  that  the  people  of  Babylonia 
and  Assyria  had  passed  down  to  them  part  of  the  story  in 
the  true  form,  though  they  did  not  know  the  true  God.  This 
is  the  account  of  the  creation  of  the  stars  and  the  moon  as  it 
has  been  translated  for  us: 


“He  made  the  stations  for  the  great  gods; 

The  stars,  their  images,  the  constellations  he  fixed. 

He  ordained  the  year,  and  into  sections  he  divided  it ; 
The  twelve  months  he  fixed  by  three  stars. 


the  Moon  God  he  caused  to  shine  forth ;  the  night  he  in¬ 
trusted  to  him. 

He  appointed  a  luminary  for  the  night,  to  determine  the 
days ; 

Monthly,  without  ceasing,  with  the  disc  he  fashioned  it, 
saying: 

At  the  beginning  of  the  month,  as  thou  riseth  upon  the  land, 

The  horns  are  to  announce  the  fixing  of  the  six  days.” 


The  account  of  the  creation  of  man,  too,  is  interesting: 


JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 


11 


“  When  Marduk  heard  the  words  of  the  gods, 

His  heart  prompted  him,  and  he  devised  a  cunning  plan. 

He  opened  his  mouth  and  .  .  .  spoke,  .  .  . 

‘  My  blood  will  I  take  and  bone  will  I  fashion ; 

I  will  make  man  .  .  . 

I  will  create  man  who  shall  inhabit  the  earth, 

That  the  service  of  the  gods  may  be  established  and  that 
their  shrines  may  be  built !  ’  ’’ 


You  can  see  from  these  two  fragments  that  the  Babylonian 
story  of  the  Creation  is  something  like  the  account  given  in 
Genesis.  And  for  that  reason  it  is  worth  knowing  and 
worth  studying  about.  The  foolish  parts  we  know  must 
have  been  added  by  ignorant  people,  but  the  true  parts  show 
how  a  memory  of  the  true  story  was  handed  down  even  by 
those  who  had  forgotten  the  true  God. 


EXPRESSIONAL  SESSION 

THANKING  GOD  FOR  HIS  GOODNESS 

Psalm  8 

Suggestions  for  the  Leader’s  Opening  Address 

As  we  look  about  us  on  this  beaut ful  day,  we  see  so  many 
things  for  which  we  want  to  thank  God.  We  want  to  thank 
him  for  all  the  beauty  of  the  earth,  for  all  the  wonderful 
gifts  of  sun  and  rain,  of  winter  and  summer,  and  of  food 
and  drink.  We  want  to  thank  him  for  our  parents  and  our 
friends  and  teachers  ;  we  want  to  thank  him  because  we  live 
in  a  civilized  land.  We  want  to  thank  him,  too,  that  he  made 
us  in  his  own  image.  But  especially  we  want  to  thank  him 
for  the  greatest  gift  which  he  has  given  to  mankind — the  gift 
of  his  Son,  Jesus  Christ  our  Lord. 

The  Class  Prayer 

Our  Father  in  heaven,  we  want  to  thank  thee  for  our 
creation  and  preservation  and  for  all  the  blessings  of  this 
life.  But  especially  we  want  to  thank  thee  for  the  greatest 
gift  of  all  those  that  thou  hast  given  us — the  gift  of  thy  Son. 


12 


JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 


Bless  us  and  help  us  to  be  his  loyal  followers  to-day  and 
every  day.  We  ask  in  his  name.  Amen. 

Verses  for  Use  in  the  Meeting 

Numbers  23:23d;  Psalms  19:1-3;  36:6-9;  90:1,  2; 
104:24-31 ;  Isaiah  40:26;  I  Corinthians  8:6;  John  1  :l-5. 

Hymns  for  Use  in  the  Meeting 

“  From  All  that  Dwell  Below  the  Skies.” 

“  Dear  Ford  and  Father  of  Mankind.” 

“  The  Spacious  Firmament  on  High.” 

“  My  God,  I  Thank  Thee,  Who  Hast  Made.” 

“  God  Is  Working  His  Purpose  Out.” 

“  This  Is  My  Father’s  World.” 

Questions  for  Use  in  the  Meeting 

1.  What  did  God  create  on  each  of  the  six  days? 

2.  Over  what  things  is  man  to  be  the  master? 

3.  Name  some  of  the  fish,  birds,  animals. 

4.  What  are  the  first  words  of  the  Apostles’  Creed? 

5.  What  is  God’s  command  in  regard  to  the  seventh  day, 
or  the  day  on  which  he  rested  after  creating  the  world? 

6.  How  can  Juniors  thank  God  for  his  goodness  to  the 
people  of  the  world? 

Topics  for  Discussion  or  Reports 

1.  How  Man  Differs  from  God’s  Other  Creatures. 

2.  The  Greatest  Honor  Which  Man  Has  Ever  Received. 

3.  The  Babylonian  Story  of  the  Creation. 

4.  Why  the  Creation  Stories  of  Other  Nations  Are  Not 
so  Wonderful  as  the  Bible  Story. 

5.  The  First  Day  of  Creation. 

6.  The  Second  Day  of  Creation. 

7.  The  Third  Day  of  Creation. 

8.  The  Fourth  Day  of  Creation. 

9.  The  Fifth  Day  of  Creation. 

10.  The  Sixth  Day  of  Creation. 

11.  The  Seventh  Day. 


13 


JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 

Some  Thoughts  About  the  Topic 

Man’s  chief  glory  is  that  he  was  made  in  the  image  of  God. 

We  should  try  to  keep  ourselves  as  much  like  our  Father 
as  it  is  possible  for  us  to  be. 

Man  is  greater  than  any  other  of  God’s  creatures  because 
he  was  made  in  God’s  image. 

God  gave  to  man  dominion  over  all  his  creatures.  We 
should  try  in  every  way  to  use  wisely  and  well  the  powers 
which  God  has  given  us. 

God’s  good  gifts  are  for  all  his  people  everywhere.  We 
should  share  with  others,  and  try  to  help  them  to  enjoy  all 
the  blessings  which  are  around  us  all. 

We  must  give  praise  to  God  for  his  goodness  to  us  and  to 
all  men  everywhere.  Let  us  thank  him  by  trying  to  obey 
him  in  every  way. 


CHAPTER  II 

WEEK  DAY  SESSION 

THE  GARDEN  OF  EDEN 
Genesis  2  :4-20 
The  Memory  Verse 

“And  Jehovah  God  took  the  man,  and  put  him  into  the 
garden  of  Eden  to  dress  it  and  to  keep  it.” — Genesis  2:15. 

The  Lesson  Story 

The  first  chapter  of  Genesis,  which  was  your  last  lesson, 
says  that  God  created  man  in  his  own  image.  In  the  chap¬ 
ter  which  is  our  lesson  for  to-day  there  is  given  more  about 
the  creation  of  man,  for  verse  7  says,  “  And  Jehovah  God 
formed  man  of  the  dust  of  the  ground,  and  breathed  into 
his  nostrils  the  breath  of  life ;  and  man  became  a  living  soul.” 

This  is  all  that  we  know  about  the  creation  of  man  from 
the  Bible.  God  does  his  miracles  in  wonderful  wavs  that 
are  far  beyond  man's  understanding,  and  though  people  have 
thought  and  written  much  about  the  Creation,  we  do  not 
understand  very  much  even  now  about  it.  We  do  not  know 
how  God  made  man  from  the  dust  of  the  earth,  nor  how  he 
gave  him  life,  and  made  him  a  “  living  soul.”  But  we  do 
know  that  we  ought  to  give  him  thanks  in  that  he  has  made 
human  beings  in  his  own  image,  with  souls  that  make  us 
different  from  the  other  creatures  that  he  has  made,  and  that 
he  loves  us  more  than  all  the  other  creatures  in  the  world. 

One  way  in  which  God  showed  his  love  for  the  man  whom 
he  had  created  was  by  giving  him  a  wonderful  home.  God 
“  planted  a  garden,”  in  which  man  was  to  live.  This  Garden 
is  called  “  Eden,”  a  name  which  means  “  pleasantness.” 
Another  name  by  which  we  call  it  is  “  Paradise,”  which 
means  “  a  park.” 


14 


JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 


15 


We  do  not  know  exactly  where  the  first  home  of  man  was, 
but  the  Bible  tells  us,  Genesis  2  :8,  that  it  was  “  eastward  ” ; 
that  is.  eastward  of  Palestine.  We  know,  too,  that  a  river 
flowed  from  the  Garden,  and  divided  into  four  branches — 
the  Pishon,  the  Gihon,  the  Hiddekel,  and  the  Euphrates. 
Though  we  do  not  know  now  what  rivers  were  meant  by  the 
first  two  of  these,  we  do  know  that  the  Hiddekel  is  the  river 
which  we  now  call  “the  Tigris,”  and  that  the  Euphrates  is 
still  called  by  that  name.  These  rivers  are  in  Asia.  We 
know,  too,  where  the  land  of  Havilah,  mentioned  in  verse 
11  is,  and  the  land  of  Cush,  verse  13,  for  both  places  were 
familiar  in  Bible  times.  Havilah  was  a  part  of  Arabia,  and 
Cush  was  the  land  of  the  people  called  “  Cushites,”  at  this 
time  the  basin  of  the  Tigris  and  Euphrates  Rivers. 

So,  if  you  look  at  the  map  in  your  school  geographies 
which  shows  Asia,  and  find  the  Tigris  and  Euphrates  Rivers, 
you  will  know  something  about  where  the  first  home  of  man 
was.  You  will  not  find  the  other  places  given  on  the  nowa- 
days  maps  in  your  geographies,  for  they  are  called  by  other 
names. 

The  home  which  God  gave  to  man  was  very  beautiful. 
There  were  all  sorts  of  fruit  and  shade  trees  in  it.  Beautiful 
flowers  bloomed  everywhere,  and  there  were  pleasant  streams 
along  which  the  first  man,  Adam,  could  walk.  There  were 
all  sorts  of  animals,  too,  and  God  brought  them  to  the  man 
one  by  one,  large  and  small,  and  to  each  he  gave  a  name. 
He  named  all  the  birds,  too,  and  all  the  creatures  everywhere. 

Adam’s  life  must  have  been  very  busy.  There  were  so 
many  things  to  learn,  so  many  things  to  do.  For  we  must 
not  think  that  all  Adam’s  life  was  play.  We  must  remember 
that  God  created  man  in  his  own  image,  and  that  almost  the 
first  words  of  the  Bible  show  that  God  worked.  He  “  created 
the  heavens  and  the  earth.”  So,  when  he  made  Adam  he  put 
him  in  a  Garden  which  he  was  to  tend  and  to  keep  in  order. 
Genesis  2:15.  He  had  to  use  his  hands.  When  he  named 
the  animals  he  had  to  use  the  brain  which  God  had  given 
him.  He  was  busy  and  happy.  But  he  was  lonely.  The 
animals  were  friends  to  him,  but  there  was  no  other  human 
being  in  the  world — no  other  creature  made  in  God’s  image. 
And  so  God  planned  to  create  a  helpmeet  for  Adam,  who 
would  be  his  wife. 


16 


JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 

The  Geography  oe  the  Lesson 

Havilah.  A  district  of  Arabia,  rich  in  gold,  aromatic 
gums,  and  precious  stones. 

Cush.  A  territory  in  the  great  basin  drained  by  the  Tigris 
and  Euphrates  Rivers. 

Hiddekel,  or  Tigris.  This  river  rises  in  central  Armenia. 
Its  whole  course  to  its  junction  with  the  Euphrates  is  eleven 
hundred  and  forty-six  miles.  In  ancient  times  it  flowed  into 
the  Persian  Gulf. 

Euphrates.  This  is  one  of  the  greatest  rivers  in  the 
world.  Its  length  is  about  eighteen  hundred  miles.  The  He¬ 
brews  called  it  “  the  great  river,”  or  simply  “  the  river.”  It 
was  considered  a  boundary  between  east  and  west,  between 
Egypt  and  Assyria-Babylonia,  each  power  desiring  to  pos¬ 
sess  the  country  between  the  Euphrates  and  the  Nile. 

Handwork 

Make  a  garden  as  beautiful  as  possible  on  your  sand  table. 
Use  bits  of  glass  as  lakes  and  ponds,  and  indicate  rivers  and 
streams.  Use  twigs  as  trees  and  bushes,  and  make  flowers 
of  bits  of  bright-colored  paper.  What  should  you  put  in  the 
very  center  of  the  Garden?  Genesis  2:9.  You  will  learn 
more  about  the  trees  mentioned  in  this  verse  in  Chapter  III. 

Notebook  Work 

At  the  top  of  the  page  of  your  notebook  write  the  chapter 
number  and  the  title  of  this  lesson.  Then  write  the  Memory 
Verse.  Try  to  find  the  picture  of  the  most  beautiful  place 
that  you  can — a  picture  showing  a  river  and  trees  and 
flowers.  Paste  this  in  your  notebook,  below  the  Memory 
Verse,  to  make  you  think  of  the  Garden  of  Eden.  Under  it 
write  the  words  of  Genesis  2  :9,  “  And  out  of  the  ground 
made  Jehovah  God  to  grow  every  tree  that  is  pleasant  to  the 
sight,  and  good  for  food.” 

Map  Work 

Draw  a  map  showing  the  position  of  the  Tigris  and  Eu¬ 
phrates  Rivers,  and  put  in  the  Pishon  and  the  Gihon  as  you 
imagine  them  to  have  been.  Draw  the  rivers  that  you  know 


JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 


17 


about  with  solid  lines,  and  the  rivers  that  you  imagine  with 
dotted  lines. 


Expressional  Activity 

Try  this  week  to  thank  God  in  some  way  for  his  good 
gifts.  Particularly  you  can  thank  him  for  his  gifts  of  food 
and  drink.  At  mealtime  say  the  grace  given  below  in  the 
Memory  Work. 


Memory  Work 

A  GRACE  TO  LEARN,  TO  SAY  AT  THE  TABLE 

Lord  Jesus,  be  our  holy  Guest, 

Our  morning  Joy,  our  evening  Rest; 

And  with  our  daily  bread  impart 
Thy  love  and  peace  to  every  heart. 

— The  Book  oe  Common  Worship. 


SUNDAY  SESSION 

ADAM  AND  EVE  IN  THE  GARDEN 
Genesis  2:21-25 
The  Memory  Verse 

“  Thus  saith  Jehovah  ...  I  have  made  the  earth,  and 
created  man  upon  it.” — Isaiah  45:11,  12. 

The  Lesson  Story 

God  saw  that  Adam,  the  man  whom  he  had  created,  was 
lonely  without  other  human  beings,  even  in  the  beautiful 
Garden  of  Eden,  and  so  he  made  for  him  a  helpmeet,  a 
woman,  who,  because  she  was  to  be  the  mother  of  all  living 
people,  was  called  “  Eve.” 

Adam  and  Eve  must  have  been  very  happy  there  in  the 
Garden.  Each  morning  when  they  awoke  they  had  some¬ 
thing  new  to  do.  They  had  the  beautiful  garden  with  all  its 
trees,  to  tend.  The  fruit  for  food  must  be  selected.  They 
must  have  enjoyed  watching  the  animals,  to  which  Adam  had 
given  names,  learning  about  them  and  the  way  in  which 


18 


JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 


they  lived.  All  day  long  there  was  something  new  to  do, 
something  new  to  learn. 

And  then,  in  the  cool  of  the  day,  after  their  work  and  play 
were  done,  something  wonderful  would  happen.  God  him¬ 
self  would  talk  with  them  in  the  Garden. 

And  God  had  been  so  kind  to  them !  He  had  given  them 
so  much  freedom.  They  could  go  wherever  they  wanted  to 
go  in  the  Garden.  They  could  do  whatever  they  wanted  to 
do.  They  could  eat  the  fruit  of  every  tree — except  one  tree. 
That  tree  was  the  tree  of  the  knowledge  of  good  and  evil, 
which  stood  in  the  middle  of  the  Garden,  the  fruit  of  that 
one  tree  they  were  not  to  touch.  But  they  had  so  much  else 
that  was  new  around  them,  and  so  many  other  kinds  of  fruit 
for  food  that  they  did  not  mind  this  command.  They  did 
not  touch  the  forbidden  fruit.  They  lived  happily  and  busily 
in  the  wonderful  Garden  which  God  had  given  them. 

Putting  the:  Lesson  Into  the  Life  of  the  Class 

We  can  speak  to  God  in  prayer  and  he  will  talk  to  us 
through  our  teachers  and  through  his  Word,  the  Bible. 

When  we  are  busy  with  pleasant  work  we  are  usually 
happy.  If  we  are  busy  doing  the  things  that  it  is  right  for 
us  to  do,  we  will  not  have  time  to  want  to  do  the  things  that 
are  wrong. 

Adam  and  Eve  worked  and  played  and  talked  to  God  each 
day.  It  would  be  well  for  us,  too,  to  work  and  play  and  talk 
to  God  each  day. 

The  Lesson  Truth  in  Your  Life 

When  we  do  God’s  will  and  try  to  obey  him,  we  shall  find 
that  we  are  happiest. 

A  Story  of  a  Day  in  the  Garden 

Eve  wakened  quickly  as  the  sun  rose  over  the  eastern 
horizon.  Quickly  she  ran  to  the  brook  and  bathed.  She  was 
so  glad  to  be  alive  !  Adam,  too,  sprang  up,  and  together  they 
walked  through  the  forest. 

“  There  is  fruit  that  looks  good,”  Eve  would  say.  “  What 
shall  we  call  it  ?  ” 


JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 


19 


“  And  there  is  a  little  animal  that  I  do  not  remember  to 
have  seen  before.  What  shall  its  name  be?’’  Adam  would 
say.  Then  he  would  pick  the  little  creature  up  in  his  hand, 
and  smooth  its  fur  and  pet  it.  Perhaps  he  would  name  it 
“  mouse,”  or  “  mole.” 

And  so  they  would  go  through  the  Garden.  Sometimes 
they  would  stop  to  tie  up  a  grapevine  whose  fruit  was  weigh¬ 
ing  it  down,  or  to  prop  up  the  limb  of  an  apple  tree,  or  to 
plant  the  seed  of  the  fruit  they  had  eaten.  They  would 
watch  a  lion  and  her  cubs,  playing  as  gently  as  kittens ;  or 
perhaps  a  friendly  elephant  would  lift  Adam  in  his  trunk  so 
that  he  could  reach  the  highest  branches  of  a  tall  tree. 
Everything  was  friendly.  They  were  afraid  of  nothing  in 
all  God’s  great,  good  world,  though  there  were  animals  much 
larger  than  we  know  now,  queer  horses,  and  mastodons,  and 
other  creatures  which  fed  on  the  tops  of  trees. 

So  the  days  passed  happily  by.  In  the  evening  God  came 
to  the  Garden  and  talked  with  his  children,  telling  them  what 
they  should  do.  And  at  night  when  they  went  to  sleep  they 
were  happy,  because  the  day  had  been  well  spent  in  doing 
those  things  which  God  wanted  them  to  do.  So  God  wants 
his  people  to  live — busy  and  happy  and  obedient  to  his  teach¬ 
ing  all  day  long.  And  we  to-day  can  live  in  this  way,  just 
as  Adam  and  Eve  did. 

A  Modern  Account  oe  the  Region  Where  the  Garden 
of  Eden  Is  Supposed  to  Have  Been 

“  One  unoccupied  morning  I  went  over  to  an  island  on  the 
river.  Its  cool,  restful  look  had  attracted  me  on  the  day  I 
arrived,  and  it  quite  fulfilled  its  promise.  Indeed,  it  was 
the  only  place  I  came  across  in  Mesopotamia  that  might  have 
been  a  surviving  fragment  of  the  Garden  of  Eden.  It  was 
nearly  a  mile  long,  and  scattered  about  on  it  were  seven  or 
eight  thick-walled  and  well-fortihed  houses.  The  entire 
island  was  one  great  palm  grove,  with  pomegranates,  apri¬ 
cots,  figs,  orange  trees,  and  grapevines  growing  beneath  the 
palms.  The  grass  at  the  foot  of  the  trees  was  dotted  with 
blue  and  pink  flowers.  Here  and  there  were  fields  of  spring 
wheat. 

“  In  the  early  morning  hours  the  country  was  lovely — 


20 


JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 


rolling  grass  land  ‘  with  a  hint  of  hills  behind  ’ — miles  of 
daisies  with  clusters  of  blood-red  poppies  scattered  through 
them — and  occasional  hollows  carpeted  with  a  brilliant  blue 
flower.  In  the  river  courses  there  were  numbers  of  bril¬ 
liantly  hued  birds — the  gayest  colors  I  saw  in  Mesopotamia, 
with  the  exception  of  the  vivid  arsenic-green  birds  around 
Ana  on  the  Euphrates.  In  one  place  I  thought  that  the 
ground  was  covered  with  red  flowers,  but  a  close  inspection 
proved  it  to  be  myriads  of  tiny  red  insects  swarming  on  the 
grass  stems.” 

“  War  in  the  Garden  of  Eden  ” — Kermit  Roosevelt. 


EXPRESSIONAL  SESSION 

HOW  GOD  WANTS  US  TO  LIVE 
I  Thessalonians  5:15;  John  5:17;  Luke  11 :1,  2 

Suggestions  for  the  Leader’s  Opening  Address 

God  gave  to  Adam  and  Eve  a  home  in  the  beautiful  Gar¬ 
den  of  Eden.  He  gave  to  them  every  good  and  perfect  gift. 
He  made  them  in  his  own  image.  He  knew  that  they  would 
not  be  happy  if  their  days  were  spent  in  idleness,  and  so  he 
gave  them  work  to  do,  as  well  as  the  pleasures  that  they 
found  in  their  beautiful  home.  Then,  after  the  day’s  work 
and  pleasure  were  done,  when  evening  had  come,  he  himself 
talked  to  them  in  the  Garden.  That  is  the  way  in  which  God 
wants  us  to  live.  We  must  work  with  our  hands ;  we  must 
study ;  we  must  play ;  we  must  talk  to  him  in  prayer.  In  that 
way  we  shall  grow  mentally  and  physically  and  spiritually. 
We  shall  grow  as  Jesus  grew,  “  in  wisdom  and  stature,  and 
in  favor  with  God  and  men.” 

The  Class  Prayer 

Our  Father  in  heaven,  we  want  to  do  with  our  lives  as  you 
would  have  us  do.  Help  us  to  pass  our  days  in  doing  useful 
things  and  in  helping  others.  Let  us  remember  to  talk  to  you 
in  prayer.  Let  us  listen  to  the  messages  given  to  us  in  the 
Bible,  your  Word  to  us,  and  those  given  through  our  parents 


JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS  21 

and  teachers.  Help  us  to  live  aright.  For  Jesus’  sake. 
Amen. 


V ERSES  FOR  USE  IN  THE  MEETING 

I  Samuel  2:26;  Luke  1:80;  2:52;  James  1:17;  I  Peter 
5  :7 ;  Luke  13:14;  John  9 :4. 

Hymns  for  Use  in  the  Meeting 

“  Come.  My  Soul,  Thou  Must  Be  Waking.” 

“  Father,  Lead  Me  Day  by  Day.” 

“  Now  to  Heaven  Our  Prayer  Ascending.” 

“  In  the  Child  Garden.”  (“  In  the  Garden,  in  the  Gar¬ 
den  of  Jesus.”) 

“  When  O’er  Earth  Is  Breaking.” 

“To  Thy  Temple  I  Repair.” 

“  Heavenly  Father,  We  Would  Thank  Thee.” 

“  Night  and  Day.”  (“  Oh!  How  Lovely  Is  the  Night!  ”) 

Questions  for  Use  in  the  Meeting 

1.  Name  three  divisions  which  we  may  make  in  our  wak¬ 
ing  time. 

2.  Mention  some  ways  in  which  you  can  serve  God  ac¬ 
ceptably. 

3.  When  you  are  obedient  to  your  parents  and  teach¬ 
ers,  are  you  serving  God  acceptably? 

4.  When  you  do  errands  willingly  are  you  doing  them  for 
God  ? 


Topics  for  Discussion  or  Reports 

1.  The  Work  Which  Juniors  Can  Do. 

2.  Talking  to  God. 

3.  Working  for  God. 

4.  The  Kind  of  Play  God  Wants. 

5.  How  We  Should  Treat  Others  in  Work  and  Play. 

To  Read  in  the  Meeting 

“  All  work  and  no  play  makes  Jack  a  dull  boy. 

All  play  and  no  work  make  Jack  a  dull  shirk.” 

Adam  and  Eve  worked  and  played  and  talked  to  God. 


22 


JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 


They  did  as  he  told  them  to  do.  They  depended  upon  him 
absolutely.  We,  too,  can  cast  all  our  troubles  and  cares  upon 
him,  being  sure  that  he  will  do  those  things  that  are  best 
for  us. 

Our  lives  should  be  lived  as  God  wills,  and  we  can  find  out 
what  he  wills  by  reading  the  Bible. 

“  Be  with  us,  O  Father  dear, 

Every  night  and  day; 

Let  us  walk  as  in  thy  fear, 

Hear  us  when  we  pray; 

Show  us  how  to  walk  aright, 

Lift  our  thoughts  above; 

Keep  us  ever  in  thy  sight, 

Blessed  Lord  of  love.” 


CHAPTER  III 

WEEK  DAY  SESSION 

THE  STORY  OF  THE  TEMPTATION 

Genesis  3  :1  -7 
The  Memory  Verse 

“The  fear  of  Jehovah  is  the  beginning  of  wisdom.” 

— Proverbs  1  :7. 

The  Lesson  Story 

Adam  and  Eve  were  busy  and  happy  in  their  beautiful 
home  in  the  Garden  of  Eden.  And  then  one  day,  something 
happened  which  changed  their  happiness  to  sorrow. 

You  remember,  do  you  not,  that  God  had  told  his  children 
that  they  might  eat  the  fruit  of  every  tree  in  the  Garden  ex¬ 
cept  one  tree — the  tree  in  the  midst  of  the  Garden,  the  tree 
of  the  knowledge  of  good  and  evil.  You  would  have  thought 
that  Adam  and  Eve  could  surely  have  obeyed  this  one  com¬ 
mand — that  they  would  have  done  as  God  wanted  them  to 
do.  And  yet  when  the  very  first  temptation  to  disobedience 
came,  they  yielded. 

One  day  as  Eve  was  alone  in  the  Garden,  the  serpent  came 
to  her — the  serpent  which,  the  Bible  tells  us,  was  the  most 
cunning  of  all  the  beasts  which  God  had  made. 

He  came  to  Eve  with  a  question,  a  question  that  seemed 
harmless  enough,  “  Yea,  hath  God  said,  Ye  shall  not  eat  of 
any  tree  of  the  garden  ?  ” 

Eve  answered  that  God  had  told  them  not  to  eat  the  fruit 
of  the  tree  that  was  in  the  midst  of  the  Garden.  If  they  did 
eat,  she  said,  God  had  told  them  that  they  would  die. 

“  You  shall  not  surely  die,”  the  serpent  told  her.  “  God 
knows  that  if  you  do  eat  the  fruit  of  that  tree  you  shall 
know  good  and  evil  as  he  does,  so  he  does  not  want  you 
to  eat  it.” 

The  serpent,  you  see,  began  his  words  to  Eve  with  a  false- 

23 


24 


JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 


hood.  God  had  told  Adam  and  Eve  that  if  they  ate  the  fruit 

j 

of  the  tree  of  knowledge  of  good  and  evil  they  should  die. 
Now  the  serpent  contradicted  this.  “  Ye  shall  not  surely 
die,”  he  said. 

Eve  should  not  have  listened  to  the  serpent.  She  should 
have  remembered  that  God  had  been  so  good  to  her  and 
Adam.  She  should  have  told  the  tempter  to  go  away.  But 
instead,  she  listened.  She  probably  thought  that  she  would 
just  go  look  at  the  tree.  So  she  went  to  the  midst  of  the 
Garden.  She  looked  at  the  tree.  The  fruit  was  wonderful. 
It  seemed  as  if  it  should  taste  good.  The  serpent  kept  tell¬ 
ing  her  that  she  would  become  wise  if  she  ate  it. 

Probably  she  thought  at  first  that  she  would  just  look  at 
the  fruit.  Then  she  may  have  put  out  her  hand  and  touched 
it.  And  at  last — she  picked  it  and  ate  it ! 

And  to  make  matters  worse,  she  took  some  of  the  fruit 
to  Adam  and  persuaded  him  to  eat  it,  also !  She  not  only 
sinned  herself,  but  tempted  her  husband.  And  so  Adam  and 
Eve  disobeyed  God,  who  had  been  so  good  to  them.  The 
first  sin,  the  sin  of  disobedience,  entered  the  world,  and  God’s 
happy  children,  created  in  his  own  image,  to  whom  he  had 
given  so  many  wonderful  gifts,  disobeyed  his  commands  and 
forgot  what  he  had  told  them  to  do.  They  knew  that  God 
had  been  very,  very  good  to  them.  They  should  have  known 
that  he  knew  what  it  was  best  for  them  to  do.  And  yet  they 
yielded  to  the  serpent’s  urging,  and  did  what  God  had  for¬ 
bidden  !  They  were  no  longer  happy,  innocent  human  be¬ 
ings,  but  a  man  and  a  woman  who  had  disobeyed. 

Handwork 

Work  out  more  completely  on  the  sand  table  your  model 
of  the  Garden  of  Eden. 

Notebook  Work 

On  a  new  page  of  your  notebook,  write  the  title  of  this 
lesson  and  the  Memory  Verse.  Then  write  the  story  in  your 
own  words. 

Exprbssionab  Activity 

Try  this  week  to  be  especially  obedient  to  your  parents  and 
teachers. 


25 


JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 

Memory  Work 

Learn  the  words  of  the  old  hymn,  “  Yield  Not  to  Temp¬ 
tation.” 


A  Story  to  Read 

Long,  long  ago,  when  this  old  world  was  in  its  tender  in¬ 
fancy,  there  was  a  child  named  Epimetheus,  who  never  had 
either  father  or  mother ;  and,  that  he  might  not  be  lonely, 
another  child,  fatherless  and  motherless  like  himself,  was 
sent  from  a  far  country  to  live  with  him  and  be  his  play¬ 
fellow  and  helpmate.  Her  name  was  Pandora. 

The  first  thing  that  Pandora  saw  when  she  entered  the 
cottage  where  Epimetheus  dwelt  was  a  great  box,  and  almost 
the  first  question  which  she  put  to  him  after  crossing  the 
threshold  was  this  : 

“  Epimetheus,  what  have  you  in  that  box?  ” 

“  My  dear  little  Pandora,”  answered  Epimetheus,  “  that  is 
a  secret,  and  you  must  be  kind  enough  not  to  ask  any  ques¬ 
tions  about  it.  The  box  was  left  here  to  be  kept  safely,  and 
I  do  not  myself  know  what  it  contains.” 

“  But  who  gave  it  to  you  ?  ”  asked  Pandora,  “  and  where 
did  it  come  from  ?  ” 

“  That  is  a  secret,  too,”  replied  Epimetheus. 

“  How  provoking !  ”  exclaimed  Pandora,  pouting  her  lip. 
“  I  wish  the  great,  ugly  box  were  out  of  the  way !  ” 

“  Oh,  come,  don’t  think  of  it  any  more,”  cried  Epimetheus. 
“  Let  us  run  out  of  doors  and  have  some  nice  play  with  the 
other  children.” 

It  is  thousands  of  years  since  Epimetheus  and  Pandora 
were  alive,  and  the  world  nowadays  is  a  very  different  sort 
of  thing  from  what  it  was  in  their  time.  Then  everybody 
was  a  child.  They  needed  no  fathers  and  mothers  to  take 
care  of  the  children,  because  there  was  no  danger  or  trouble 
of  any  kind,  and  no  clothes  to  be  mended,  and  there  was 
always  plenty  to  eat  and  drink.  Whenever  a  child  wanted 
his  dinner,  he  found  it  growing  on  a  tree ;  and  if  he  looked 
at  the  tree  in  the  morning,  he  could  see  the  expanding  blos¬ 
som  of  that  night’s  supper,  or  at  eventide  he  saw  the  tender 
bud  of  to-morrow’s  breakfast.  It  was  a  very  pleasant  life 
indeed.  No  labor  to  be  done,  no  tasks  to  be  studied — noth- 


26 


JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 


ing  but  sports  and  dances,  and  sweet  voices  of  children  talk¬ 
ing  or  caroling  like  birds  or  gushing  out  in  merry  laughter 
throughout  the  livelong  day. 

What  was  most  wonderful  of  all,  the  children  never  quar¬ 
reled  among  themselves,  neither  had  they  any  crying  fits, 
nor,  since  time  first  began,  had  a  single  one  of  these  little 
mortals  ever  gone  apart  into  a  corner  and  sulked.  Oh,  what 
a  good  time  was  that  to  be  alive  in  !  The  truth  is,  those  ugly 
little  winged  monsters  called  Troubles,  which  are  now  almost 
as  numerous  as  mosquitoes,  had  never  yet  been  seen  on  the 
earth.  It  is  probable  that  the  very  greatest  disquietude  which 
a  child  had  ever  experienced  was  Pandora’s  vexation  at  not 
being  able  to  discover  the  secret  of  the  mysterious  box.  .  .  . 
It  was  really  an  endless  employment  to  guess  what  was  in¬ 
side.  What  could  it  be,  indeed?  Just  imagine  how  busy 
your  wits  would  be  if  there  were  a  great  box  in  the  house 
which,  as  you  might  have  reason  to  suppose,  contained  some¬ 
thing  new  and  pretty  for  your  Christmas  or  New  Year’s 
gifts.  Do  you  think  that  you  should  be  less  curious  than  Pan¬ 
dora?  If  you  were  left  alone  with  the  box,  might  you  not 
feel  a  little  tempted  to  lift  the  lid?  But  you  would  not  do  it. 
Oh,  fie !  No,  no!  Only,  if  you  thought  there  were  toys  in  it, 
it  would  be  so  very  hard  to  let  slip  an  opportunity  of  taking 
just  one  peep!  I  know  not  whether  Pandora  expected  any 
toys,  for  none  had  yet  begun  to  be  made,  probably,  in  those 
days,  when  the  world  itself  was  one  great  plaything  for  the 
children  that  dwelt  upon  it.  But  Pandora  was  convinced 
that  there  was  something  very  beautiful  and  valuable  in  the 
box,  and  therefore  she  felt  just  as  anxious  to  take  a  peep  as 
any  of  these  little  girls  here  around  me  would  have  felt,  and 
possibly  a  little  more  so ;  but  of  that  I  am  not  quite  so 
certain. 

On  this  particular  day,  however,  her  curiosity  grew  so" 
much  greater  than  it  usually  was  that  at  last  she  approached 
the  box.  She  was  more  than  half-determined  to  open  it  if 
she  could.  Ah,  naughty  Pandora  ! 

Epimetheus  himself,  although  he  said  very  little  about  it, 
had  his  own  share  of  curiosity  to  know  what  was  inside. 
Perceiving  that  Pandora  was  resolved  to  find  out  the  secret, 
he  determined  that  his  playfellow  should  not  be  the  only  wise 
person  in  the  cottage.  And  if  there  were  anything  pretty  or 


JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 


27 


valuable  in  the  box,  he  meant  to  take  half  of  it  to  himself. 
Thus,  after  all  his  sage  speeches  to  Pandora  about  restrain¬ 
ing  her  curiosity,  Epimetheus  turned  out  to  be  quite  as 
foolish,  and  nearly  as  much  in  fault,  as  she.  So,  whenever 
we  blame  Pandora  for  what  happened,  we  must  not  forget 
to  shake  our  heads  at  Epimetheus  likewise.  .  .  . 

As  Pandora  raised  the  lid  the  cottage  grew  very  dark  and 
dismal,  for  a  black  cloud  had  now  swept  quite  over  the  sun 
and  seemed  to  have  buried  it  alive.  There  had,  for  a  little 
while  past,  been  a  low  growling  and  muttering,  which  all  at 
once  broke  into  a  heavy  peal  of  thunder.  But  Pandora, 
heeding  nothing  of  all  this,  lifted  the  lid  nearly  upright  and 
looked  inside.  It  seems  as  if  a  sudden  swarm  of  winged 
creatures  brushed  past  her,  taking  flight  out  of  the  box,  while 
at  the  same  instant  she  heard  the  voice  of  Epimetheus  with 
a  lamentable  tone,  as  if  he  were  in  pain. 

“Oh,  I  am  stung!”  cried  he.  “I  am  stung!  Naughty 
Pandora,  why  have  you  opened  this  wicked  box  ?  ” 

Pandora  let  fall  the  lid,  and,  starting  up,  looked  about 
her  to  see  what  had  befallen  Epimetheus.  The  thunder¬ 
cloud  had  so  darkened  the  room  that  she  could  not  very 
clearly  discern  what  was  in  it.  But  she  heard  a  disagreeable 
buzzing,  as  if  a  great  many  huge  flies  or  gigantic  mosquitoes, 
or  those  insects  which  we  call  dor  bugs  and  pinching  dogs, 
were  darting  about.  And  as  her  eyes  grew  more  accustomed 
to  the  imperfect  light  she  saw  a  crowd  of  ugly  little  shapes 
with  bats’  wings,  looking  abominally  spiteful,  and  armed  with 
terribly  long  stings  in  their  tails.  It  was  one  of  those  that 
had  stung  Epimetheus.  Nor  was  it  a  great  while  before 
Pandora  herself  began  to  scream  in  no  less  pain  and  affright 
than  her  playfellow,  and  making  a  vast  deal  more  hubbub 
about  it.  An  odious  little  monster  had  settled  on  her  fore¬ 
head,  and  would  have  stung  her  I  know  not  how  deeply  if 
Epimetheus  had  not  run  and  brushed  it  away. 

Now,  if  you  wish  to  know  what  these  ugly  things  might 
be  which  had  made  their  escape  out  of  the  box,  I  must  tell 
you  that  they  were  the  whole  family  of  earthly  Troubles. 
There  were  evil  Passions ;  there  were  a  great  many  species 
of  Cares;  there  were  more  than  a  hundred  and  fifty  Sor¬ 
rows  ;  there  were  Diseases  in  a  vast  number  of  miserable 
and  painful  shapes;  there  were  more  kinds  of  Naughtiness 


28 


JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 


than  it  would  be  of  any  use  to  talk  about.  In  short,  every¬ 
thing  that  has  since  afflicted  the  souls  and  bodies  of  mankind 
had  been  shut  up  in  the  mysterious  box  and  given  to  Epi- 
metheus  and  Pandora  to  be  kept  safely,  in  order  that  the 
happy  children  of  the  world  might  never  be  molested  by 
them.  Had  they  been  faithful  to  their  trust,  all  would  have 
gone  well.  No  grown  person  would  ever  have  been  sad,  nor 
any  child  have  had  cause  to  shed  a  single  tear  from  that  hour 
until  this  moment. — From  “  A  Wonder  Book,”  by  Nathaniel 
Hawthorne. 


SUNDAY  SESSION 

HIDING  FROM  GOD 
Genesis  3  :8-15 
The  Memory  Verse 

“  Can  any  hide  himself  in  secret  places  so  that  I  shall  not 
see  him?  saith  Jehovah.” — Jeremiah  23:24a. 

The  Lesson  Story 

Have  you  ever  been  disobedient  ?  Have  you  ever  done 
something  during  the  day  which  you  knew  would  make  your 
father  unhappy  and  worried?  How  did  you  feel  when  it 
was  time  for  him  to  come  home  from  business?  Did  you 
run  to  meet  him,  saying,  “  O  father,  I’ve  had  such  a  good 
time  to-day  ”  ? 

You  remember  how  you  felt,  I  know.  Adam  and  Eve 
must  have  felt  very  much  like  that  after  they  had  eaten  the 
fruit  of  the  forbidden  tree. 

In  the  evening  God  walked  in  the  Garden.  He  had  come 
to  talk  to  the  human  beings  whom  he  had  made.  But  before 
he  had  spoken  a  word  to  them,  they  hid  from  him.  The 
little  voice  in  their  hearts,  which  we  call  conscience,  had 
spoken  to  them.  They  had  eaten  the  fruit  of  the  tree  of  the 
knowledge  of  good  and  evil.  They  knew  that  they  had 
sinned,  and  that  they  deserved  punishment. 

“  Where  art  thou  ?  ”  God  called  to  Adam. 


JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 


29 


“  I  heard  thy  voice  in  the  garden,  and  I  was  afraid,  be¬ 
cause  I  was  naked,”  Adam  answered. 

“  How  did  you  know  that  you  were  naked  ?  ”  God  said. 
“  Have  you  eaten  of  the  fruit  of  the  forbidden  tree?  ” 

“  The  woman  whom  you  gave  me  gave  of  the  fruit,”  Adam 
excused  himself. 

God  turned  to  the  woman.  “  What  is  this  that  you  have 
done?  ”  he  asked  of  her. 

Then  Eve  told  God  how  the  serpent  had  tempted  her,  and 
how  she  had  yielded  to  his  temptations. 

God  was  sorry  that  his  human  children  had  disobeyed  him. 
He  had  to  punish  them;  he  had  to  punish  the  serpent.  You 
can  find  the  punishment  of  the  serpent  if  you  read  verses 
14,  15  of  the  lesson.  He  was  to  be  cursed  above  all  the 
creatures  in  the  world.  He  was  to  crawl  in  the  dust.  He 
was  to  be  hated  by  human  beings  always. 

Adam  and  Eve  were  punished  by  being  sent  out  from  the 
Garden.  They  knew  now  the  difference  between  good  and 
evil.  They  had  worked  before  this,  but  now  there  would  be 
toil  and  suffering  with  their  work.  They  had  disobeyed  God, 
and  so  they  were  punished. 

As  God  sent  the  first  human  beings  out  from  their  home 
in  the  beautiful  Garden  of  Eden,  he  closed  it  to  them  by 
placing  cherubim  with  flaming  swords  at  the  east  of  the 
Garden.  He  did  not  want  human  beings  to  eat  the  fruit  of 
the  tree  of  eternal  life  as  they  had  eaten  the  fruit  of  the  tree 
of  the  knowledge  of  good  and  evil. 

And  yet,  even  in  those  early  days,  just  after  man’s  sin  and 
Fall,  God  spoke  a  few  words  in  which  we  see  the  promise  of 
a  Saviour,  who  should  bring  to  the  people  of  the  world  the 
hope  of  eternal  life  in  the  world  to  come.  God  said  to  the 
serpent,  “  He  shall  bruise  thy  head,  and  thou  shalt  bruise 
his  heel.”  and  these  words  are  a  prophecy  of  the  coming  of 
Christ  the  Messiah,  thousands  of  years  later. 


Putting  the  Lesson  Into  the  Life  of  the  Class 

When  we  have  disobeyed  our  parents  or  teachers,  the  little 
voice  within  speaks  to  us  and  makes  us  afraid  to  see  them, 
as  Adam  and  Eve  were  afraid  to  see  God. 

It  is  wrong  even  to  listen  to  those  who  want  us  to  dis- 


30 


JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 


obey.  If  we  do  not  listen  to  the  first  word  of  temptation, 
we  shall  not  yield  to  it. 

It  is  wrong  to  listen  to  anyone  who  tempts  us,  but  it  is 
still  more  wicked  to  try  to  tempt  others  to  disobedience.  A 
person  who  has  done  wrong  thinks  of  that  wrongdoing  con¬ 
stantly  and  it  prevents  his  enjoyment  of  the  good  things  that 
God  has  given  us. 

When  we  sin,  we  deserve  punishment. 

Even  in  the  beginning,  God  planned  to  send  a  Saviour  to 
help  his  children  of  the  world. 

The  Lesson  Truth  in  Your  Life 

When  we  have  done  wrong,  a  little  voice  within  speaks 
to  us ;  we  are  ashamed  and  want  to  hide  from  the  person 
whom  we  have  wronged.  We  should  try  to  do  right 
always  and  then  we  shall  be  courageous,  for  right-doing 
gives  courage. 


A  Story  to  Read 

“  Now,  boys,  remember!  I  don’t  want  you  to  go  in  swim¬ 
ming  in  the  pond  this  week  while  I  am  away.  There  is  a  re¬ 
port  that  the  water  is  bad,  and  I  don’t  want  either  of  you  to 
be  ill  next  week,  so  that  we  should  have  to  give  up  our  trip.” 

Jim  and  Ned  nodded.  All  summer  they  had  been  looking 
forward  to  that  trip  with  father,  to  the  camp  on  the  island 
where  they  were  to  have  two  weeks’  holiday  before  school 
began.  What  fishing  and  crabbing  there  would  be,  and 
swimming  in  the  cold,  clear  waters  of  the  bay,  and  ocean 
bathing  besides  !  Oh,  it  was  going  to  be  lots  of  fun  ! 

And  then,  the  next  morning  it  was  hot. 

“  Come  on,  fellows,  we’re  going  in  swimming !  ”  shouted 
Tom  Nelson. 

“  Can’t.  Father  doesn’t  want  us  to  go  because  the  water 
in  the  pond  is  not  pure,”  said  Jimmie. 

“Oh,  it  is!”  said  Tom.  “My  father  says  it’s  all  right. 
It  won’t  hurt  us !  ” 

“  It  is  hot,”  Jimmie  thought.  “  Perhaps  father  was  mis¬ 
taken.  Mr.  Nelson  ought  to  know.  He’s  a  politician.”  He 
wiped  the  perspiration  from  his  forehead.  It  would  be  cool 
in  the  water. 


JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 


31 


“  Come  on,  Ned.  Let’s  go  with  the  fellows,”  he  suddenly 
decided. 

Ned  was  younger  than  Jim.  He  usually  followed  his  lead¬ 
ership.  And  so,  when  Jim  said,  “  Come  on,”  Ned  went  with 
him. 

It  was  nice  and  cool  in  the  water,  but  for  some  reason  Jim 
and  Ned  didn’t  enjoy  their  swim  so  much  as  usual.  As  they 
put  on  their  clothes  afterwards  they  were  not  very  happy. 
And  that  night  Neddie  began  to  toss  and  talk  in  his  sleep  and 
mother  had  to  stay  up  almost  all  night  with  him.  Jimmie 
was  wretched.  When  the  doctor  came  in  the  morning  he 
shook  his  head. 

“  It  may  be  only  a  very  bad  cold,’’  he  said,  “  or  it  may  be 
the  fever.  There  are  several  cases  in  town  due  to  the  water 
up  in  the  old  swimming  hole,  which  is  bad.” 

Jimmie  felt  wretched.  He  had  known  about  the  water  in 
the  pond.  He  knew  it  was  bad.  Father  had  told  him  so. 
Yet  he  had  been  persuaded  to  go  in  to  swim  himself  and  to 
take  his  little  brother!  And  now  Neddie  was  sick.  They 
couldn’t  go  on  their  trip  and  perhaps  Neddie  might  die — 
people  did  die  of  fever. 

It  was  a  very  sober  little  boy  who  went  out  to  meet  father 
when  he  heard  his  whistle,  as  he  came  up  the  street  that 
night. 

“What’s  the  matter,  Jim?  Where’s  Ned?”  was  father’s 
cheery  greeting. 

“  Ned’s  sick,  and  it’s  all  my  fault,”  sobbed  Jim.  And  then 
he  told  the  whole  story. 

Father  looked  very  sober.  He  was  worried  about  Neddie, 
and  he,  too,  had  counted  on  the  trip.  He  hurried  into  the 
house  to  hear  what  mother  had  to  say. 

That  night,  when  the  doctor  came  he  said  that  Neddie  did 
not  have  the  fever,  but  only  a  very  bad  cold.  Father  called 
Jim  to  him. 

“  Jim,”  he  said,  “  I  wonder  if  you  understand  now  how 
important  it  is  to  obey.  You  knew  that  I  had  forbidden  you 
to  go  into  the  pond,  and  yet  you  yourself  went,  and  you  per¬ 
suaded  Neddie  to  go,  too.  Perhaps  he  might  have  had  the 
fever  and  died.  As  it  is,  we  may  have  to  give  up  our  trip. 
Do  you  think,  Jimmie,  that  you  have  learned  a  lesson  ?  Poor 
little  Ned  is  the  one  who  is  most  punished,  but  I  hope  that 


32  JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 

both  of  you  will  understand  better  after  this  what  obedience 
means  and  how  disobedience  brings  its  own  punishment/’ 

And  as  Jimmie  went  to  bed,  he  thought  soberly  that  he 
did  understand  how  much  disobedience  costs. 

EXPRESSION AL  SESSION 

PLEASINCx  AND  DISPLEASING  GOD 

Luke  2 : 40-52 

Suggestions  for  the  Leader’s  Opening  Address 

We  Juniors  are  just  about  the  age  of  Jesus  when  he  went 
to  the  passover  feast  at  Jerusalem  when  he  was  twelve  years 
old.  We  know  that  he  had  pleased  God  always,  and  from 
what  we  know  of  him  we  know  one  way  in  which  we,  too, 
may  please  God.  When  he  returned  home  to  Nazareth,  he 
was  “subject”  to  his  parents;  that  is,  he  was  obedient  to 
them.  So  if  we,  too,  learn  the  lesson  of  obedience  to  parents 
and  teachers,  we  shall  please  God.  Jesus  obeyed :  Adam  and 
Eve  disobeyed.  Jesus  did  not  yield  when  the  Devil  tempted 
him.  Adam  and  Eve  yielded  when  the  serpent  tempted  them, 
and  so  brought  suffering  and  sin  into  the  world.  Let  us  ask 
God  for  help  in  times  of  temptation. 

The  Ceass  Prayer 

The  Lord’s  Prayer  repeated  by  all. 

Verses  for  Use  in  the  Meeting 

Matthew  4:2-4;  Hebrews  4:15;  Jeremiah  23:24;  Psalm 
64:2;  James  1:12;  I  Corinthians  10:13;  Matthew  26:41; 
James  1  :22a;  I  Thessalonians  4:1. 

Hymns  for  Use  in  the  Meeting 

“  Yield  Not  to  Temptation.” 

“  When  We  Walk  with  the  Lord.” 

“  I’ll  Go  Where  You  Want  Me  to  Go.  Dear  Lord.” 

“  Now  to  Heaven  Our  Prayer  Ascending.” 

Questions  for  Use  in  the  Meeting 

1.  What  two  trees  in  the  Garden  of  Eden  are  especially 
mentioned  ? 


JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 


33 


2.  How  can  a  Junior  please  God? 

3.  Name  five  ways  ir  which  you  can  please  God  to-day. 

4.  Name  five  ways  in  which  you  will  please  God  to-day. 

5.  Which  of  these  opposite  things  are  pleasing  to  God : 

obedience  or  disobedience;  truth  or  falsehood;  honesty  or 
dishonesty ;  unkind  speech  or  kind  words  ? 

6.  Are  you  keeping  God’s  Commandments? 

Topics  for  Discussion  or  Reports 

1.  Why  Is  It  Wicked  to  Tempt  Others? 

2.  Why  Is  It  Wrong  to  Listen  to  Those  Who  Want  Us 
to  Disobey? 

3.  The  Example  of  Perfect  Obedience. 

4.  Keeping  God’s  Commandments. 

5.  The  Two  Trees  in  the  Garden  of  Eden. 

6.  How  Jesus  Met  Temptation. 

7.  How  Juniors  Can  Best  Meet  Temptation. 


To  Rpad  in  the  Meeting 

The  perfect  Example  for  all  Juniors  to  follow  is  Jesus, 
the  Saviour  of  the  world. 

The  disobedience  of  Adam  and  Eve  brought  suffering  to 
many  others  besides  themselves.  Sometimes  when  we  do 
something  that  we  should  not  do,  we  say,  “  Oh,  it  won’t 
harm  anyone  but  myself.”  But  usually  some  one  else  is 
harmed,  too,  or  given  trouble.  Suppose  you  eat  too  much 
ice  cream,  when  you  have  been  warned  not  to.  You  yourself 
are  ill,  it  is  true,  but  probably  mother  has  a  great  deal  of 
extra  work,  and  father  has  to  pay  a  doctor  bill,  and  alto¬ 
gether  you  make  a  great  deal  of  trouble  because  of  yielding 
to  temptation. 

The  sins  and  disobedience  of  anyone  in  the  world  cause 
trouble  to  others.  “  For  none  of  us  liveth  to  himself.” 

Both  the  Old  Testament  and  the  New  Testament  tell  us 
that  God  wants  obedience  more  than  sacrifice.  “  To  obey  is 
better  than  sacrifice.” 

Shakspere  says,  “  Conscience  doth  make  cowards  of  us 
all.”  This  means  that  when  we  have  done  wrong,  we  are 
afraid  because  we  know  that  we  deserve  punishment. 


CHAPTER  IV 

WEEK  DAY  SESSION 

CAIN  AND  ABEL 
Genesis  4  :3-15 
The  Memory  Verse 

“  Love  suffereth  long,  and  is  kind.” — I  Corinthians  13:4a. 

The  Lesson  Story 

Though  Adam  and  Eve  had  been  sent  out  from  the  beau¬ 
tiful  Garden  of  Eden  they  had  all  the  rest  of  the  world  from 
which  to  choose  a  place  for  their  home.  They  must  have 
found  life  very  different  from  what  it  had  been  before,  as 
they  wandered  through  the  forests  of  great  trees  and  along 
the  shores  of  rivers.  No  longer  was  everything  friendly. 
They  had  anxiety  and  trouble.  They  had  suffering,  and  the 
work  they  had  to  do  was  hard. 

By  and  by  a  son  was  born  to  them.  They  named  him  Cain, 
a  word  which  means  “  forged  instruments,”  or  “  smith.” 
When  a  second  son  was  born,  he  was  called  Abel,  which 
means  “  breath.” 

As  the  two  boys  grew  to  manhood,  Cain  became  a  farmer 
and  Abel  became  a  shepherd,  a  keeper  of  sheep.  The  two 
young  men  were  quite  different,  as  brothers  often  are.  Cain 
was  quick-tempered ;  Abel  probably  liked  to  lead  his  sheep 
quietly  to  pasture  and  to  spend  the  long  days  peacefully  and 
undisturbed.  Adam  and  Eve,  Cain  and  Abel,  made  up  the 
first  family.  Perhaps  it  was  not  a  happy  family  even  from 
the  first,  for  Cain  and  Abel  were  so  different  that  they  may 
not  have  agreed  with  each  other  even  when  they  were  boys. 

Though  Adam  and  Eve  had  disobeyed  God,  they  wor¬ 
shiped  him,  and  they  taught  their  children  to  make  offer¬ 
ings  to  him.  Once  when  Cain  and  Abel  were  grown  up,  Cain 


34 


JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 


35 


brought  to  offer  to  God  a  gift  of  the  fruit  of  the  ground; 
Abel  brought  as  a  gift  the  best  of  his  flock  of  sheep. 

For  some  reason  Cain  did  not  make  his  offering  in  the 
right  spirit.  Fie  begrudged  it.  He  did  not  want  to  give  an 
offering  to  God.  On  the  other  hand,  Abel  was  grateful  to 
God.  He  made  his  gift  with  a  thankful  heart.  And  so  God 
was  pleased  with  Abel’s  offering.  He  was  displeased  with 
that  of  Cain.  At  this  Cain  was  angry.  God  spoke  to  him 
kindly,  and  told  him  why  his  offering  was  not  acceptable. 
He  told  him  that  his  heart  was  not  right.  Instead  of  being 
sorry  for  his  feeling,  and  trying  to  become  better-tempered, 
Cain  became  more  and  more  angry.  He  became  angry  at 
Abel,  his  brother,  for  no  reason  whatever,  except  his  own 
evil  spirit.  He  thought  so  long  about  the  matter  that  one 
day  he  deliberately  plotted  to  harm  Abel.  He  called  him 
out  into  the  field,  and  killed  him.  So  far  from  God  had 
jealousy  led  the  child  of  the  first  human  beings. 

Of  course  God  knew  what  Cain  had  done,  but  he  gave 
him  a  chance  to  confess  his  sin. 

“  Where  is  Abel  thy  brother  ?  ”  he  asked. 

Cain  had  already  committed  the  sins  of  jealousy  and  mur¬ 
der.  Now  he  added  a  lie  to  his  other  sins. 

“  I  know  not,”  he  said.  “  Am  I  my  brother’s  keeper  ?  ” 

God  must  have  been  grieved  at  Cain’s  reply,  lie  knew 
that  Cain  was  sinning  and  must  be  punished. 

“  I  know  that  you  have  killed  your  brother,”  God  told 
Cain.  His  voice  must  have  been  stern  by  this  time.  “  And 
you  must  be  punished.  You  must  go  away  from  your  home 
here.  You  must  be  a  wanderer  on  the  face  of  the  earth. 
The  earth  shall  not  yield  food  to  you  easily  as  it  has  done  up 
to  this  time.  If  you  plant  seed  your  crop  will  be  uncertain. 
That  shall  be  your  punishment.” 

To  Cain  it  seemed  that  his  punishment  was  more  than  he 
could  bear.  He  knew  that  he  was  a  fugitive  and  a  wanderer, 
and  that  he  might  be  killed  at  any  time.  He  was  afraid. 
God  promised  him,  however,  that  he  should  not  be  slain. 
“Jehovah  appointed  a  sign  for  Cain,  lest  any  finding  him 
should  smite  him.”  What  that  sign  was  we  do  not  know, 
though  people  speak  even  to-day  of  the  “  mark  of  Cain,” 
when  they  describe  a  person  who  bears  the  marks  of  evil. 

And  so,  Cain,  marked  by  God’s  displeasure,  went  out  into 


36 


JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 


the  world  still  farther  than  his  parents,  Adam  and  Eve, 
had  gone.  Because  of  their  sins,  human  beings  were  getting 
farther  and  farther  away  from  the  beautiful  first  home  of 
the  human  race,  the  Garden  of  Eden. 

Handwork 

Copy  on  the  blackboard  the  words  which  the  prophet 
Samuel  spoke  to  the  people  of  Israel:  “To  obey  is  better 
than  sacrifice.” 

i 

Notebook  Work 

Enter  this  story  in  your  notebook.  Then  write  down  the 
names  of  the  members  of  the  family  of  Adam  and  Eve 
whom  we  know.  The  two  oldest  sons  were  Cain  and  Abel. 
Later  there  was  another  son  whose  name  was  Seth,  and 
other  children  whose  names  we  do  not  know.  Adam  lived 
to  be  nine  hundred  and  thirty  years  old ;  Seth  lived  to  be  nine 
hundred  and  twelve  years  old.  Copy  all  these  facts  in  your 
notebook,  so  that  you  will  remember  them. 

Expressionar  Activity 

Do  you  ever  quarrel  with  your  own  brothers  and  sisters  ? 
Try  to  live  peaceably  with  them  this  week,  remembering  the 
words  of  the  Memory  Verse,  “  Love  sufifereth  long,  and  is 
kind.” 

Memory  Work 

Learn  the  words  of  the  Apostle  Paul :  “  Let  not  the  sun  go 
down  upon  your  wrath.” 


SUNDAY  SESSION 

THE  SIN  AT  THE  DOOR 
I  Peter  5  :7,  8 
The  Memory  Verse 

“  Behold,  how  much  wood  is  kindled  by  how  small  a  fire !  ” 

— James  3  :5. 

The  Lesson  Story 

God  was  pleased  with  the  gift  that  Abel  brought  him, 


JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 


37 


but  he  was  not  pleased  with  that  of  Cain.  And  the  reason 
that  he  was  not  pleased  with  Cain’s  offering  was  that  Cain's 
heart  was  not  right.  Sin  was  there.  God  said  to  him,  “  Sin 
coucheth  at  the  door.” 

Can  you  see  the  picture  which  these  words  bring  before 
our  eyes  ?  The  word  “  coucheth  ”  is  used  about  wild  beasts, 
ready  to  spring.  Think  of  sin  as  a  wild  beast,  ready  to  spring 
upon  us,  waiting  for  a  chance  to  attack  when  we  are  not 

watching.  If  we  conquer  that  sin  when  it  is  little,  as  we 

might  tame  a  lion’s  cub,  we  shall  have  very  little  trouble. 
But  if  we  let  the  cub  grow,  until  it  becomes  a  full-grown, 
man-eating  lion,  we  are  not  able  to  conquer  it.  When  it 
springs  upon  us,  unless  we  have  help  from  God,  we  are  lost. 

So  it  was  with  Cain’s  sin.  At  first  it  was  ingratitude. 
For  some  reason  he  did  not  want  to  give  his  gift  to  the  Lord. 
Then  jealousy  came  into  his  heart  because  God  was  pleased 
more  with  Abel’s  offering  than  with  his.  The  lion’s  cub  was 
growing  larger  and  larger.  Then  Cain  killed  his  brother. 
The  cub  had  become  a  man-eater.  And  finally  Cain  lied  to 
God,  and  denied  responsibility  for  what  had  happened  to 

Abel.  So  his  sin  made  him  like  a  beast,  hunted  and  hated 

by  everyone,  and  dangerous  to  all.. 

That  is  what  sin  does.  If  we  do  not  choke  it  when  it  is 
small;  if  we  let  it  grow  day  after  day,  soon  the  time  comes 
when  we  cannot  help  ourselves.  Bad  habits  grow.  They 
become  our  masters.  If  you  say,  “  Just  this  once  I  will 
break  my  resolution,”  you  will  soon  find  that  “  just  this 
once  ”  becomes  many,  many  times,  and  that  your  resolution 
is  valueless.  If  you  let  bad  temper  get  control  of  you,  and 
yield  to  it  once,  you  will  find  that  you  yield  more  easily  a 
second  time  and  a  third  time.  The  way  to  treat  sin  is  to 
choke  it  when  you  first  find  that  it  is  attacking  you  ;  when 
you  first  see  it  couching  at  the  door  of  your  heart ;  to  kill 
it  before  it  gets  so  strong  that  you  cannot  master  it. 

So,  in  the  very  first  pages  of  the  Bible,  we  are  taught  this 
lesson :  Learn  to  conquer  yourself.  Do  not  let  sin  be  your 
master. 

Putting  the  Lesson  Into  the  Liee  oe  the  Class 

A  sin  that  seems  little  in  itself  often  leads  to  a  greater  sin. 
Did  you  ever  know  about  a  case  where  a  boy  or  a  girl 


38 


JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 


neglected  to  study  a  lesson,  and  then  cheated  to  get  a  good 
mark?  Forgetting  to  study  a  lesson  was  carelessness,  but  in 
that  case  the  sin  of  cheating  was  far  greater  than  the  sin  of 
carelessness.  The  smaller  sin  had  led  to  the  greater  sin. 

There  is  a  story  of  a  small  boy  who  went  to  his  mother 
and  asked  if  he  might  have  a  cooky. 

“  Just  one,”  she  answered. 

But  when  she  went  to  the  cake  box  that  night  the  cookies 
were  all  gone. 

“  Why,  Bobbie,”  she  said,  “  did  you  eat  all  the  cookies  ? 
I  told  you  to  take  only  one.” 

“  Well,  mother,”  he  answered,  “  I  did  take  only  one,  but  I 
took  one  a  great  many  times.” 

That  is  the  way  it  is  with  sins.  We  yield  to  temptation 
“  just  once,”  and  “  just  once,”  and  “  just  once,”  and  sud¬ 
denly  we  find  that  we  have  yielded  a  great  many  times,  and 
our  good  resolution  is  valueless. 

Punishment  followed  Cain’s  sin.  So  punishment  always 
follows  sin,  and  often  it  seems  to  us  as  it  seemed  to  Cain, 
greater  than  we  can  bear. 

The  Lesson  Truth  in  Your  Lite 

If  we  always  try  to  do  that  which  is  right,  and  never  yield 
even  once  to  the  temptation  to  do  wrong,  we  shall  find  it  be¬ 
coming  more  and  more  easy  to  resist  temptation. 

To  Read  with  the  Lesson 

There  is  an  old  legend  which  tells  of  a  man  who  was  fish¬ 
ing  in  the  Arabian  Sea.  As  he  drew  in  his  net  one  day  he 
discovered  that,  instead  of  a  fish,  he  had  caught  a  bottle  of 
wonderful  glass,  sealed  with  a  wonderful  seal. 

At  first  he  was  happy  in  just  admiring  his  treasure.  Then 
he  bewail  to  wonder  about  its  contents. 

o 

“  What  can  be  inside  ?  ”  he  thought. 

At  last  he  broke  the  seal  and  opened  the  bottle.  And  out 
poured  a  great  mass  of  smoke  which,  as  it  rose  in  the  air, 
took  the  form  of  a  huge  jinn,  or  evil  spirit. 

“  Have  mercy,  have  mercy,  on  me,  O  King  Solomon,” 
called  the  jinn. 

“  I  am  not  King  Solomon,”  answered  the  terrified  man. 


JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 


39 


“  I  am  only  a  poor  fisherman,  who  just  chanced  to  araw  in 
the  bottle  in  my  net.  King  Solomon  has  been  dead  for  many 
years/’ 

“  Then  I  will  kill  you,”  said  the  jinn.  “  I  am  afraid  of  no 
one  in  the  world  but  King  Solomon.  You  shall  die!  ”  And 
he  seemed  so  big  and  threatening  that  the  poor  fisherman 
trembled  with  fear.  But  still  he  was  clever,  and  he  thought 
of  a  plan  which  was  worth  trying. 

“A  great  jinn  like  you  could  never  have  been  hidden  in 
such  a  small  bottle,”  he  managed  to  mutter. 

“  I  was  hidden  there.  I  will  show  you,”  said  the  jinn. 
And  he  went  back  into  the  bottle,  just  to  “  show  off  ”  to  the 
fisherman,  who  sealed  him  up  tightly  in  the  bottle  again,  and 
then  threw  it  back  into  the  sea. 

This  is  only  an  old  story,  as  you  know,  but  it  shows  how 
people  everywhere  have  recognized  the  truth  that  a  little  sin, 
if  it  is  not  choked  back  quickly,  will  grow  so  that  it  can  be¬ 
come  master  of  us.  The  fisherman  conquered  the  jinn,  and 
put  him  in  the  place  where  he  could  do  the  least  harm.  If 
we  choke  back  our  sins,  they  will  have  less  and  less  power 
over  us,  and  we  shall  be  their  masters,  instead  of  letting 
them  master  us.  We  can’t  do  this  alone.  Who  will  help  us  ? 

EXPRESSIONAL  SESSION 

OUR  RESPONSIBILITY  FOR  OTHERS 
I  Corinthians  12:12-21 

Suggestions  for  the  Leader’s  Opening  Address 

When  God  asked  Cain  about  his  brother  Abel,  Cain  an¬ 
swered  with  another  question,  “  Am  I  my  brother’s  keeper  ?” 
That  question  we,  who  live  since  the  days  of  Jesus,  can  an¬ 
swer  better  than  he  could  do.  Cain  was  his  brother’s  keeper. 
He  was  responsible  for  what  he  had  done.  So  we,  to-day, 
are  responsible  for  what  goes  on  in  the  world.  “  For  none 
of  us  liveth  to  himself.”  We  are  all  parts  of  one  body,  as 
the  Apostle  Paul  said.  We  Juniors  do  not  have  the  respon¬ 
sibility  that  we  shall  have  when  we  grow  up.  but  we  can 
begin  now,  right  away,  to  learn  the  lessons  that  we  shall  need 


40 


JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 


to  know  when  we  are  grown  up,  and  are  the  people  who 
must  do  the  work  of  the  world.  We  are  not  to  interfere 
with  others  who  are  doing  their  duty  in  the  world.  We  are 
to  see  to  it  that  nothing  we  do  interferes  with  their  rights. 
We  are  to  look  out  for  the  “  little  fellows  ” — those  who  are 
younger  and  not  so  strong  as  we  are ;  and  as  we  are  com¬ 
manded  to  love  everyone  in  the  world,  we  shall  see  to  it  that 
those  we  love  are  treated  fairly. 

The  Class  Prayer 

Our  Father  in  heaven,  we  know  that  you  want  us  to  love 
one  another,  and  that  if  we  do  this,  we  shall  be  sure  to  look 
out  for  the  rights  of  others  and  to  help  them  when  they  need 
help.  Make  us  thoughtful  of  others,  we  pray,  and  help  us 
to  help  them.  We  ask  in  Jesus’  name.  Amen. 

Verses  for  Use  in  the  Meeting 

Hebrews  11 :4  ;  12  :24 ;  1  Corinthians  8:13;  I  John  3  : 1 1-16 ; 
4 :21 ;  II  Corinthians  5  : 14. 

Hymns  for  Use  in  the  Meeting 

“If  Your  Heart  Keeps  Right.” 

“  What  Are  You  Doing  for  Others?  ” 

“  Children  of  the  Lord.  (“  Do  No  Sinful  Action.”) 

“  In  Our  Work  and  in  Our  Play.” 

“  Little  Children,  Love  Each  Other.” 

“Guard,  My  Child,  Thy  Tongue.” 

Questions  for  Use  in  the  Meeting 

1.  What  are  some  ways  in  which  a  Junior  can  make  his 
home  happy? 

2.  In  what  ways  do  you  think  that  Cain  was  different 
from  Abel? 

3.  In  what  ways  was  Cain’s  sacrifice  different  from 
Abel’s  ? 

4.  Why  did  Cain  hate  Abel  ? 

5.  How  can  a  Junior  be  responsible  for  others? 


41 


JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 

Topics  for  Discussion  or  Reports 

1.  The  Punishment  of  Cain. 

2.  My  Responsibility  for  Others. 

3.  My  Responsibility  in  Keeping  School  Rules. 

4.  My  Responsibility  in  Keeping  Home  Rules. 

5.  How  a  Junior  Can  Be  His  Brother’s  Keeper. 

6.  How  the  Way  I  Keep  Rules  Helps  or  Hinders  Others. 

7.  How  Cain’s  Sin  Grew. 

8.  The  Second  Sin  Which  Came  Into  the  World. 

9.  The  Sin  to  Which  Jealousy  Led. 

To  Read  in  the  Meeting 

Sometimes  you  take  care  of  your  little  brother  or  sister, 
for  mother.  Then  you  are  truly  your  brother’s  keeper. 
Perhaps  he  runs  away  or  hurts  himself  when  you  are  not 
watching  so  carefully  as  you  should  do.  What  do  you  say 
to  mother  when  she  asks  you  how  the  trouble  happened  ? 

Envy  Bed  Cain  to  the  sin  of  murder.  If  you  are  envious 
and  jealous  of  some  one  else,  master  your  jealousy  when  the 
sin  is  little.  Don’t  let  the  sin  grow  so  strong  that  it  masters 
you. 

When  you  are  older  you  will  take  a  share  in  making  the 
laws  of  our  country.  Perhaps  you  may  think  that  some  of 
the  laws  do  not  affect  you  at  all,  but  you  must  see  to  it  that 
the  laws  are  made  so  that  everyone  has  justice,  so  you  will 
vote  for  good  laws,  and  see  that  there  are  good  men  to  carry 
them  out. 

It  is  not  the  value  of  the  offering  that  the  Lord  judges, 
but  the  heart  of  the  giver. 

It  is  said  that  the  first  hospital  in  the  world  was  founded 
at  the  city  of  Ephesus,  where  the  apostle  John  had  preached 
that  God  is  love.  Not  long  afterwards,  in  the  same  city,  the 
first  orphanage  was  established. 


CHAPTER  V 

WEEK  DAY  SESSION 

THE  FAMILY  OF  ADAM  AND  EVE 
Genesis  4:16,  20-22;  5:22-24,  27 
The:  Memory  Verse 

“  Enoch  walked  with  God.” — Genesis  5  :24. 

The  Lesson  Story 

Cain  was  sent  away  from  his  home  and  from  his  mother 
and  father.  He  wandered  alone  for  a  time.  Finally  he  came 
to  a  land  east  of  the  Garden  of  Eden,  which  the  Bible  calls 
“  the  land  of  Nod.”  There  he  built  a  city — the  first  city  of 
which  the  Bible  tells — which  he  called  “  Enoch.”  Here  he 
gathered  together  other  people,  for  there  were  many  more 
men  and  women  in  the  world  now,  and  there  he  lived  for 
many  years. 

Cain  had  a  descendant  named  Lamech.  Lamech  had  three 
sons,  Jabal,  Jubal,  and  Tubal-cain.  These  three  sons  were 
inventors.  They  are  all  noted  for  having  first  made  some¬ 
thing  which  has  been  of  great  value  to  human  beings. 

Jabal,  Genesis  4:20,  is  called  “  the  father  of  such  as  dwell 
in  tents,”  and  this  is  supposed  to  mean  that  he  was  the  first 
who  made  a  tent  from  the  skins  of  animals,  tO'  use  as  a  pro¬ 
tection  from  the  wind  and  the  rain.  Even  to-day  in  the 
East,  tents  of  skin  are  used  by  the  bands  of  wandering 
Bedouins  who  have  no  settled  homes,  but  who  travel  with 
their  great  herds  of  cattle  and  sheep  wherever  they  can  find 
good  pasture  land. 

Jubal,  the  second  son  of  Lamech,  who  is  mentioned  in 
verse  21,  is  called  “  the  father  of  all  such  as  handle  the  harp 


42 


JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 


43 


and  piped'  He  was  the  inventor  of  musical  instruments — 
the  harp  which  was  played  by  shepherds  in  those  early  days, 
and  also  the  pipe,  which  the  shepherds  used,  too.  The 
word  “jubilee”  comes  from  the  name  “Jubal.”  Look  up 
its  meaning  in  the  dictionary. 

But  it  is  to  Tubal-cain  that  the  greatest  honor  is  due. 
TubaLcain  was  the  first  man  who  learned  the  secret  of  forg¬ 
ing  metal — of  making  cutting  instruments  of  brass  and  iron. 
That  was  a  great  advance  in  man’s  civilization,  for  before 
those  days  there  had  been  no  weapons  with  which  to  fight 
wild  beasts,  nothing  but  crude  stone  tools  with  which  to  cut 
down  the  trees  of  the  forest  or  to  build  boats  or  shelters 
from  the  weather.  The  discovery  of  how  to  forge  metals 
meant  victory  over  wild  animals.  It  meant  victory  over  hu¬ 
man  enemies,  too,  and  so  Lamech,  the  father  of  Tubal-cain, 
sanga  song  which  is  called  “  The  Song  of  the  Sword,”  in 
which  he  says  that  now  he  can  slay  anyone  who  has  injured 
him.  He  boasts  of  what  his  son  has  done,  and  shows  that 
he  has  forgotten  completely  how  God  had  punished  his  an¬ 
cestor,  Cain,  for  his  murder  of  Abel. 

So  the  descendants  of  Cain  made  three  sorts  of  discov¬ 
eries.  They  found  a  way  of  sheltering  themselves  from 
storms  and  from  cold.  They  discovered  new  weapons  with 
which  to  fight  their  enemies.  They  invented  musical  instru¬ 
ments,  with  which  to  amuse  themselves.  And  all  these 
things  were  good.  They  were  gifts  of  God  to  human  beings, 
for  God  gave  to  human  beings  the  brains  and  the  ability  to 
invent  and  to  discover. 

Adam’s  third  son,  Seth,  had  descendants,  too.  One  of 
these  descendants  was  Enoch,  who  was  a  good  man — a  man 
who  lived  an  honorable  life,  so  that  he  is  said  to  have 
“  walked  with  God.”  Enoch  lived  for  three  hundred  and 
sixty-five  years,  and  then  one  day  “  he  was  not ;  for  God 
took  him.” 

Enoch’s  son,  Methuselah,  is  the  oldest  man  who  is  named 
in  the  Bible.  He  lived  to  be  nine  hundred  and  sixty-nine 
years  old.  Methuselah  left  a  son,  Lamech,  who  must  not  be 
confused  with  Lamech  the  father  of  Jabal,  Jubal,  and  Tubal- 
cain.  Lamech  had  a  son,  Noah ;  Noah  had  three  sons,  Shem, 


44 


JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 


Ham,  and  Japheth,  of  whom  we  shall  learn  more  in  our 
next  lesson. 


Handwork 

Have  you  ever  macje  a  willow  whistle?  If  you  have,  you 
know  something  about  making  a  simple  pipe.  Take  a  piece 
of  willow  twig  about  as  thick  as  a  man’s  thumb,  and  two  or 
three  inches  long.  Make  a  notch  about  halfway  down. 
Loosen  the  thin  bark  so  that  you  can  pull  out  the  inside 
wood.  Shave  off  a  small  part  of  the  wood  from  the  notch 
up,  and  then  slip  the  inside  back  into  the  bark  covering.  See 
if  you  can  whistle  on  this  pipe.  If  you  cannot  do  so  at  first, 
experiment  until  you  succeed. 

Look  at  the  picture  of  the  harp,  given  in  connection  with 
this  lesson,  and  try  to  make  something  similar.  Probably 
you  will  not  be  able  to  make  any  sound  on  the  harp,  but  you 
can  make  the  model. 


Notebook  Work 

Make  in  your  notebook  a  “  family  tree  ”  that  will  tell  you 
at  a  glance,  something  about  the  descendants  of  Adam  and 
Eve.  Make  it  something  like  this : 


JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 


45 


ADAM  AND  EVE  had  three  children 

CAIN  ABEL  SETH 

CAIN  had  a  descendant  named  Lamech 


LAMECH  had  three  sons 


JABAL  JUBAL  TUBAL-CAIN 


ABEL  had  no  children,  so  far  as  we  know. 


SETH  had  a  descendant  named  ENOCH, 


ENOCH 


METHUSALEH 


LAMECH 


NOAH 


Expressional  Activity 

Try  this  week  to  cut  out  a  wooden  or  pasteboard  ark 
with  your  penknife  or  scissors.  As  you  do  this  remember 
that  Tubal-cain  was  the  first  man  who  worked  with  metal¬ 
cutting  instruments.  Take  the  ark  to  class  for  the  Sunday 
Session. 


Memory  Work 


Learn  Psalm  150. 


46  JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 

SUNDAY  SESSION 

THE  BUILDING  OF  THE  ARK 
Genesis  6:5  to  7:5 

The  Memory  Verse 

“  Thus  did  Noah ;  according  to  all  that  God  commanded 
him,  so  did  he.” — Genesis  6:22. 

The  Lesson  Story 

“  They  tell  me  that  old  Noah  is  building  a  queer-looking 
boat,”  said  Enosh  to  Methujael  one  day. 

“  Yes,  he  is.  He  must  be  crazy,  for  there  isn't  any  water 
for  miles  around.  It  is  such  a  big  boat,  too,  and  so  different 
from  anything  that  I’ve  ever  seen  before,”  answered 
Methujael. 


“  Let’s  go  see  it,”  suggested  Enosh. 

So  the  two  boys  joined  the  crowd  surrounding  the  old, 
white-haired  patriarch,  or  father  of  the  family.  Though 
everyone  was  making  fun  of  them,  he  and  his  three  sons, 
Shem,  Ham,  and  Japheth,  went  on  with  their  work.  Plank 
after  plank  they  put  in  place;  peg  after  peg  they  drove. 
The  boat  was  a  huge  thing,  over  four  hundred  feet  long, 
seventy-five  feet  wide,  and  forty-five  feet  high.  It  had 
three  stories,  which  were  divided  into  little  rooms,  and 


JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 


47 


close  to  the  roof,  a  row  of  windows.  There  was  one  door 
in  the  side. 

“  He  must  be  insane,’’  whispered  one  boy  to  another. 
“  He  will  never,  never  be  able  to  get  that  boat  anywhere 
near  water.  Why,  the  great  rivers  are  miles  away  and  I 
have  never  seen  the  sea,  it  is  so  far.” 

At  last  Noah  paused  in  his  work.  It  was  almost  sunset. 
His  sons  stopped  their  work,  too.  He  turned  to  the  crowd 
and  spoke. 

“  You  make  sport  of  me  for  building  this  ark,”  he  said, 
“  but  hear  my  words  !  The  true  God  whom  I  worship  has 
commanded  me  to  do  this.  He  has  told  me  just  how  to 
make  the  boat.  I  am  obeying  his  commands.  Believe  my 
words,  O  people !  Repent  your  sins,  or  you  will  be 
punished.” 

But  the  people  laughed  still  more  at  the  preacher.  They 
did  not  believe  his  words.  Many  years  had  passed  since 
the  days  of  Adam  and  Eve,  and  Cain  and  Abel.  The  men 
and  women  of  the  world  were  becoming  more  and  more 
wicked.  God  saw  that  they  must  be  punished.  He  wanted 
to  give  a  fresh  start  to  the  human  beings  he  had  made. 

There  was  only  one  man  whose  life  pleased  God — Noah, 
the  son  of  Lamech,  the  great-grandson  of  Enoch.  “  Noah 
walked  with  God,”  as  his  great-grandfather  had  done.  He 
had  trained  his  three  sons,  Shem,  Ham,  and  Japheth  in  the 
right  way.  They  all  were  good  men.  Noah’s  wife  was  a 
good  woman,  and  so  were  the  wives  of  his  three  sons. 

And  because  Noah  was  a  good  man,  God  planned  to  save 
his  life.  He  spoke  to  Noah. 

“  I  am  going  to  destroy  the  people  of  the  world,”  he  said. 
“  I  am  going  to  send  a  great  flood.  Now  I  command  thee 
to  build  an  ark.  Make  it  of  gopher  wood.  Cover  it  with 
pitch,  so  that  it  will  not  leak.” 

Then  God  told  Noah  how  long  he  was  to  make  the  ark, 
and  how  wide,  and  how  high.  He  gave  exact  directions 
about  those  who  were  to  be  taken  into  the  ark,  and  about 
the  animals,  which  Noah  was  to  save. 

Noah  did  exactly  as  God  commanded.  He  and  his  sons 
went  to  the  forests.  They  cut  great  beams  of  wood.  They 
hauled  them  to  a  place  where  they  could  build  the  ark. 

Everyone  was  curious  about  what  they  were  doing. 


48 


JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 


Noah  told  them  that  God  was  going  to  send  a  flood.  He 
urged  them  to  repent  of  their  wickedness.  At  first,  there 
must  have  been  a  few  who  listened,  but  the  Flood  did  not 
come,  so  they  soon  forgot  to  be  afraid. 

God  did  not  intend  to  send  the  Flood  until  everything 
was  ready.  Noah  and  Shem  and  Ham  and  Japheth  worked 
hard.  It  took  weeks  and  months  to  build  the  great  boat  and 
make  it  water-tight.  At  last  it  was  finished.  Then  God 
spoke  again  to  Noah. 

“Come  thou  and  all  thy  house  into  the  ark,”  he  said; 
“  for  thee  have  I  seen  righteous  before  me  in  this  genera¬ 
tion.  Take  with  you  animals  and  birds  of  all  kinds,  so  that 
they  may  be  kept  alive  upon  the  face  of  the  earth.  After 
seven  days  the  rain  shall  come,  and  it  will  rain  for  forty 
days  and  forty  nights,  so  that  every  living  thing  on  the  face 
of  the  earth  will  be  destroyed.” 

Noah  believed  God’s  word.  He  knew  that  the  message 
which  came  to  him  would  be  fulfilled.  And  so  he  did  every¬ 
thing  that  God  commanded  him  to  do. 

What  the  Ark  Looked  Like 

You  all  know  what  the  ark  looked  like,  but  perhaps  you 
do  not  realize  how  big  it  was.  It  was  made  of  gopher  wood, 
which  is  something  like  cypress.  It  was  three  hundred 
cubits,  or  about  four  hundred  and  fifty  feet  long.  (A  cubit 
is  the  distance  between  the  finger  tips  and  elbow  of  a  man, 
about  eighteen  inches.)  It  was  seventy-five  feet  wide,  and 
forty-five  feet  high.  There  were  three  stories,  each  divided 
into  little  rooms,  where  the  birds  and  animals  were  kept. 
Near  the  top  was  a  window,  which  ran  all  along  the  four 
sides  of  the  ark.  There  was  one  door  in  the  side. 

The  ark  was  not  a  ship,  such  as  we  know  the  meaning  of 
the  word.  There  was  no  means  of  making  it  sail,  or  of 
guiding  its  course.  It  simply  floated  with  the  tide.  Noah 
could  not  guide  its  course  at  all. 

Putting  the  Lesson  Into  the  Life  oe  the  Class 

God  punished  the  people  of  the  world  in  the  days  of 
Noah  because  they  were  so  wicked.  He  saved  Noah  be¬ 
cause  he  was  obedient,  and  “  walked  ”  with  him. 


JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 


49 


God  is  pleased  when  his  people  of  to-day  obey  him,  just 
as  he  was  pleased  in  the  days  of  Noah. 

When  people  know  the  right  and  refuse  to  obey  it,  God 
punishes  them. 

When  you  know  the  rules  which  your  teacher  has  made 
for  you  in  school,  and  absolutely  disobey  them,  you  expect 
to  be  punished  if  you  are  found  out.  God  knows  always 
when  his  rules  are  disobeyed.  He  knows  when  people  must 
be  punished  and  he  punishes  because  he  knows  that  in  this 
way  only  can  the  world  be  made  better. 

The  Lesson  Truth  in  Your  Liee 

God  has  made  certain  laws  and  when  we  disobey  those 
laws,  disobedience  is  followed  by  punishment.  The  only 
way  to  be  sure  of  happiness  is  to  try  in  every  way  to  follow 
the  rules  that  God  has  given  to  his  people. 

Handwork 

Try  to  make  as  complete  as  possible  your  model  of  the 
ark.  Get  a  nasteboard  box  to  use  as  a  foundation — a  candy 
box  will  do.  Cut  a  piece  of  pasteboard,  longer  and  wider 
than  the  box.  Score  it  lengthwise  through  the  center,  and 
bend.  Use  this  as  a  roof,  but  do  not  fasten  it  on.  Mark  a 
window  near  the  top  of  the  box,  and  one  down  in  the  side. 
Make  three  stories  inside,  and  divide  into  rooms,  or  nests. 

Notebook  Work 

Enter  the  story  of  the  building  of  the  ark  in  your  note¬ 
book,  under  Chapter  V. 

The  Babylonian  Story  oe  the  Flood 

Many  of  the  early  people  in  the  world  had  stories  of  the 
Flood,  just  as  they  had  stories  of  the  Creation.  One  of 
these  stories  that  has  many  points  like  the  Bible  account  of 
the  Flood  is  the  Babylonian  story  which  was  discovered 
written  on  a  clay  tablet  in  queer,  wedge-shaped  letters  that 
had  been  found  by  the  explorers  who  were  investigating 
the  ancient  ruins  found  in  Babylonia  and  Assyria. 


50 


JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 


Parts  of  this  story  are  as  follows.  Gilgamesh  takes  the 
place  of  Noah. 

Ut-napishtim  spoke  to  him,  to  Gilgamesh 
I  will  reveal  to  thee,  O  Gilgamesh,  the  hidden  word, 

And  the  decision  of  the  gods  will  I  announce  to  thee. 

Shurippak,  a  city  which  thou  knowest, 

Which  lies  on  the  bank  of  the  Euphrates, 

That  city  was  very  old,  and  the  heart  of  the  gods 
Within  it  drove  them  to  send  a  flood,  the  great  gods ; 


The  lord  of  Wisdom,  Ea,  counseled  with  them 
And  repeated  their  word. 

Leave  thy  possessions,  take  thought  for  thy  life, 
Thy  property  abandon,  save  thy  life, 

Bring  living  seed  of  every  kind  into  the  ship. 

The  ship,  that  thou  shalt  build 

So  shall  be  the  measure  of  its  dimensions. 

Thus  shall  correspond  its  breadth  and  height 
.  .  .  the  ocean,  cover  it  with  a  roof. 


In  its  (plan)  120  cubits  high  on  each  of  its  side  walls. 

By  120  cubits  it  corresponded  on  each  edge  of  the  roof. 

I  laid  down  its  hull,  I  enclosed  it. 

I  built  it  in  six  stories. 

I  divided  it  outside  (?)  in  seven  parts. 

Its  interior  I  divided  into  nine  parts. 

Water  plugs  I  fastened  within  it. 

I  prepared  a  rudder,  and  laid  down  what  was  necessary. 
Three  sars  of  bitumen  I  poured  over  the  outside  (?) 

Three  sars  of  bitumen  I  poured  over  the  inside. 

With  all  that  I  had,  I  filled  it  (the  ship). 

With  all  that  I  had  of  silver,  I  filled  it. 

With  all  that  I  had  of  living  things  I  filled  it. 

I  brought  up  into  the  ship  my  family  and  household. 

The  cattle  of  the  field,  the  beasts  of  the  field,  craftsmen  all 
of  them  I  brought  in. 

A  fixed  time  had  Shamash  appointed  (saying) 

“  When  the  sender  of  rain  sends  a  heavy  rain  in  the  evening, 
Then  enter  into  the  ship  and  close  thy  door.” 

The  appointed  time  came  near. 

The  senders  of  the  rain  in  the  evening  sent  heavy  rain. 

The  appearance  of  the  weather  I  observed, 

I  feared  to  behold  the  weather, 

I  entered  the  ship  and  closed  the  door. 

To  the  ship’s  master,  to  Puzur-Amurri  the  sailor, 

I  intrusted  the  building  with  its  goods. 

— From  “  Cuneiform  Parallels  to  the 
Old  Testament,”  by  Rogers. 


51 


JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 

EXPRESSION AL  SESSION 

DOING  RIGHT  IN  SPITE  OF  RIDICULE 

Nehemiah  4:1-6 

Suggestions  for  the  Leader’s  Opening  Address 

When  God  saw  that  the  people  of  the  world  were  be¬ 
coming  more  and  more  wicked,  he  knew  that  they  must 
be  punished.  He  found  one  righteous  family  in  the  world 
— the  family  of  Noah,  the  great-grandson  of  Enoch.  He 
told  Noah  that  every  living  creature  in  the  world  except 
those  whom  he  saved  in  the  ark,  must  be  destroyed. 

But  first  he  gave  them  a  chance  to  repent.  For  a  hun¬ 
dred  and  twenty  years  more  he  allowed  them  to  go  on  in 
their  own  way.  In  that  time  Noah  built  the  ark.  He  must 
have  preached  to  the  people.  He  must  have  explained  to 
them  what  he  was  doing.  And  they  made  fun  of  him ! 
They  did  not  believe  his  words!  But  Noah  knew  that  he 
was  right.  He  did  all  that  God  commanded  him  to  do. 

Just  so  Nehemiah,  the  leader  of  the  Jews  hundreds  of 
years  later,  did  what  God  commanded  him  to  do  in  spite 
of  the  enemies  who  made  fun  of  him.  He  was  build¬ 
ing  a  walk  They  said  that  it  was  so  weak  that  even  a  fox 
running  against  it  could  break  it  down.  They  tried  in  every 
way  to  make  him  give  up  his  work.  But  he  kept  on  be¬ 
cause  he  knew  that  he  was  obeying  God's  commands. 

Sometimes  our  friends  and  schoolmates  make  fun  of  us 
when  we  are  trying  to  do  right.  They  tell  us  that  we  are 
tied  to  “  mother’s  apron  strings,”  or  try  to  persuade  us 
that  we  should  enjoy  disobeying.  Let  us  be  strong  to  with¬ 
stand  those  who  make  fun  of  us,  for  this  is  sometimes 
harder  than  doing  right  in  big  things.  Let  us  ask  God  to 
help  us. 


The  Class  Prayer 

Our  Father  in  heaven,  we  ask  thee  to  help  us  when  we 
are  tempted  to  do  wrong  because  others  laugh  at  us  for 
doing  right.  Make  us  eager  to  do  as  Noah  did  and  as  Nehe¬ 
miah  did,  and  follow  thy  commands  exactly.  We  ask  this 
in  the  name  of  Jesus.  Amen. 


52  JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 

Verses  eor  Use  in  the  Meeting 

Hebrews  11:7;  II  Peter  2:5;  II  Kings  18:17,  19,  20; 
Matthew  26:69-75;  Psalm  37:9;  Daniel  1:11-20. 


Hymns  for  Use  in  the  Meeting 

“  Dare  to  Be  a  Daniel.” 

“  Dare  to  Do  Right.” 

“Courage,  Brother!  Do  Not  Stumble.” 

“  Where  the  Fight  Is  Hardest.” 

“  Be  with  Us,  O  Father  Dear.” 

“Rise  Up,  O  Men  of  God.” 

Questions  for  Use  in  the  Meeting 

1.  Tell  the  story  of  the  descendants  of  Cain. 

2.  Tell  what  you  know  of  the  descendants  of  Seth. 

3.  What  were  the  dimensions  of  the  ark? 

4.  LIow  can  Juniors  follow  the  example  of  Noah? 

5.  Is  it  easier  to  he  a  bad  hoy  among  had  boys,  or  a  good 
boy  among  had  boys  ? 

6.  Mother  has  forbidden  you  to  go  coasting  on  the  hill 
where  there  is  a  railroad  crossing.  Jim  calls  you  a  “  ’fraid 
cat.”  What  do  you  do? 

7.  Several  of  the  girls  of  the  class  are  copying  their 
arithmetic  examples  from  Emma,  whose  father  has  helped 
her.  They  make  fun  of  you  because  you  work  so  hard  to 
get  your  problems,  all  by  yourself.  Who  is  right? 

Topics  for  Discussion  or  Reports 

1.  The  Descendants  of  Adam  and  Eve. 

2.  The  Invention  of  Musical  Instruments.  (The  Bible 
Account  and  the  Account  Given  in  Mythology.) 

3.  The  First  Maker  of  Cutting  Instruments  of  Metal. 

4.  The  Building  of  the  Ark. 

5.  The  Family  of  Noah. 

6.  How  to  Withstand  Ridicule. 

7.  A  Christian  Junior  and  God’s  Commands. 

8.  Obedience  to  the  Laws  of  God. 


JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS  53 


To  Read  in  the  Meeting 

Men  to  whom  God  gives  visions  of  the  future  and  who 
know  more  than  other  men  know  are  often  laughed  at. 

Daniel  was  probably  laughed  at  and  made  fun  of  because 
he  insisted  on  keeping  God’s  laws  about  eating  and  drink¬ 
ing  which  he  had  learned  in  his  homeland.  Yet  he  proved 
that  he  was  right,  because  he  was  better  in  health  than 
those  who  had  not  kept  those  rules. 

Columbus  tried  for  years  to  find  some  one  who  would 
believe  in  him  and  his  theory  that  the  world  was  round, 
and  would  give  him  money  to  try  to  make  the  trip  to  India 
by  sailing  west.  He  was  laughed  at  and  made  fun  of,  but 
he  proved  to  the  world  that  he  was  right. 

People  made  fun  of  Benjamin  Franklin  because  he  flew  a 
kite  when  he  was  trying  to  discover  something  about  elec¬ 
tricity.  But  Franklin  knew  what  he  was  about,  and  those 
of  us  who  are  alive  to-day  enjoy  many  of  our  everyday 
comforts  because  he  persisted  in  spite  of  ridicule. 

Even  Peter  the  apostle  was  afraid  of  ridicule.  He  de¬ 
nied  Jesus  three  times  because  a  maidservant  made  fun  of 
him.  We,  too,  must  fight  with  the  temptation  to  give  up 
right-doing  when  some  one  makes  fun  of  us. 

The  fight  against  ridicule  is  hard,  but  let  us  make  it. 


CHAPTER  VI 

WEEK  DAY  SESSION 

THE  STORY  OF  THE  FLOOD 
Genesis  7:11,  12;  8:6-19 
The  Memory  Verse 

“  By  faith  Noah,  being  warned  of  God  .  .  .  prepared  an 
ark.” — Hebrews  1 1  :7. 

The  Lesson  Story 

Noah  and  his  wife,  and  their  three  sons  and  their  wives — 
eight  people — were  shut  up  in  the  ark.  With  them  were 
animals  and  birds  of  every  sort.  The  door  was  fastened  so 
that  no  one  could  go  in  or  out. 

And  then  it  began  to  rain.  At  first  the  people  thought 
only,  “  This  is  an  unusually  heavy  rain.”  The  second  day 
it  still  continued  to  rain,  and  the  third,  and  the  fourth.  The 
ocean  tides  rose  very  high.  The  waters  crept  over  the  land. 
Rapidly  the  rivers  and  the  streams  filled  up.  They  began 
to  overflow  their  banks.  The  valleys,  the  plains,  were  soon 
covered  with  water,  so  that  the  people  fled  to  the  hills. 
Higher  and  higher  the  waters  rose,  until  they  covered  even 
high  mountains.  The  ark  floated,  and  Noah  and  his  family 
must  have  known  that  it  was  no  longer  resting  on  the 
ground.  Day  after  day  it  moved  on  the  water  until  they 
were  more  than  twenty-two  feet  above  the  tops  of  the 
highest  hills.  All  men  and  women,  all  beasts  and  birds,  all 
living  creatures  were  drowned. 

For  forty  days  and  forty  nights  the  rain  continued.  At 
last  God  “  made  a  wind  to  pass  over  the  earth  ”  and  calmed 
the  waters.  “  The  fountains  also  of  the  deep  .  .  .  were 
stopped,  and  the  rain  from  heaven  was  restrained.” 

The  ark  still  floated.  But  one  day  as  the  waters  of  the 
flood  sank,  it  struck  against  something.  Suddenly  the 


54 


JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 


55 


family  in  the  ark  knew  that  it  was  ground,  though  they  did 
not  know  where.  Really  it  was  on  the  mountains  of  Ararat. 

“  Come,”  said  Noah  to  his  sons.  “  Let  us  see  what  has 
happened.” 

You  remember  that  there  was  a  window  near  the  top  of 
the  ark.  Noah  went  to  the  place  where  the  birds  had  taken 
refuge.  He  took  a  raven,  and  he  climbed  to  the  upper  story 
of  the  ark  where  the  window  was.  He  opened  the  window, 
and  let  the  raven  fly.  The  raven,  you  know,  is  a  strong 
bird.  It  did  not  return  to  the  ark.  It  flew  back  and  forth, 
back  and  forth,  over  the  flood  until  the  waters  had  dried  up. 

When  Noah  found  that  the  raven  did  not  return  to  the 
ark,  he  sent  out  a  dove.  The  dove  is  not  a  strong-winged 
bird  as  the  raven  is.  It  could  not  fly  so  far.  Soon  it  re¬ 
turned  to  the  ark,  and  rested  on  the  window  frame.  Noah 
put  out  his  hand,  and  brought  it  into  the  ark  again. 

For  seven  days  more  they  remained  quietly  in  the  ark, 
and  then  Noah  again  loosed  a  dove.  This  time,  too,  the 
dove  came  back,  but  it  brought  in  its  mouth  an  olive  leaf. 
From  this  Noah  understood  that  the  waters  had  gone  down. 

For  seven  days  more  they  waited.  Again  Noah  sent  out 
a  dove.  This  time  the  bird  did  not  return.  There  was  land 
now,  on  which  to  rest  between  flights.  The  trees  appeared 
on  the  earth,  and  there  was  food  to  be  obtained. 

At  last  Noah  knew  that  it  would  soon  be  safe  for  him  to 
leave  the  ark.  He  removed  the  covering  and  looked  out. 
The  ground  was  dry,  but  for  almost  two  months  more  they 
remained  in  the  safe  shelter  where  they  had  been  so  long. 
Then,  at  God’s  command,  Noah  freed  all  the  beasts  and 
birds,  and  he  and  his  family  went  out  from  the  ark  and 
once  more  walked  on  dry  ground.  God  had  saved  them 
from  danger.  Because  they  were  righteous  people  they  had 
lived  in  safety  through  all  the  storm  and  flood. 

Handwork 

Complete  your  model  of  the  ark.  On  the  sand  table  make 
a  sand  picture  of  the  Flood.  Hake  a  range  of  mountains; 
let  the  highest  peak  represent  the  mountain  on  which  the 
ark  rested.  What  was  the  name  of  these  mountains?  You 
will  find  it  in  Genesis  8  ;4. 


56  JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 

Notebook  Work 

Enter  this  lesson  in  your  notebook.  Tell  the  story  in  your 
own  words.  As  decorations  find  the  pictures  of  a  raven 
and  of  a  dove. 


Expressional  Activity 

Try  this  week  to  obey  God’s  commandments  and  to  live, 
as  far  as  a  Junior  can  do,  as  he  would  want  you  to  do. 

More  of  the  Babylonian  Story  of  the  Creation 

When  the  first  flush  of  dawn  appeared. 

There  came  up  from  the  horizon  a  black  cloud. 

Adad  thundered  within  it. 

While  Nebo  and  Sharru  (Marduk)  went  before. 

They  go  as  messengers  over  mountain  and  valley. 

Nergal  tore  away  the  foundations. 

Ninib  advances,  the  storm  he  makes  to  descend. 

The  Anunnaki  lifted  up  their  torches, 

With  their  brightness  they  light  up  the  land. 

Adad’s  storm  reached  unto  heaven 
All  light  was  turned  into  darkness 
It  (flooded)  the  land  .  .  . 

One  day  the  deluge  .  .  . 

Raged  high,  (the  waters  covered  [?])  the  mountains, 

Like  a  besom  of  destruction  they  brought  it  upon  men, 

No  man  beheld  his  fellow, 

No  more  were  men  recognized  in  heaven. 

Six  days  and  (six)  nights 

Blew  the  wind,  the  deluge  and  the  tempest  overwhelmed 
the  land. 

When  the  seventh  day  drew  nigh,  the  tempest  spent  itself 
in  the  battle, 

Which  it  had  fought  like  an  army. 

Then  rested  the  sea,  the  storm  fell  asleep,  the  flood  ceased. 

I  looked  upon  the  sea,  there  was  silence  come, 

And  all  mankind  was  turned  to  clay. 

Like  a  roof  the  plain  lay  level, 

I  opened  the  window  and  the  light  fell  upon  my  face, 

I  bowed,  I  sat  down,  I  wept, 

And  over  my  face  ran  my  tears. 

I  looked  in  all  directions,  terrible  (?)  was  the  sea. 

After  twelve  days,  an  island  arose. 

To  the  land  of  Nisir  the  ship  made  its  way, 

The  mount  of  Nisir  held  it  fast,  that  it  moved  not. 

One  day,  a  second  day  did  the  mount  of  Nisir  hold  it,  that 
it  moved  not. 


JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 


57 


A  third  day,  a  fourth  day  did  the  mount  of  Nisir  hold  it, 
that  it  moved  not. 

A  fifth  day,  a  sixth  day  did  the  mount  of  Nisir  hold  it, 
that  it  moved  not. 

When  the  seventh  day  approached, 

I  sent  forth  a  dove  and  let  her  go. 

The  dove  flew  away  and  came  back, 

For  there  was  no  resting  place  and  she  returned. 

I  sent  forth  a  swallow  and  let  her  go, 

The  swallow  flew  away  and  came  back, 

For  there  was  no  resting  place,  and  she  returned. 

I  sent  forth  a  raven  and  let  her  go. 

The  raven  flew  away,  she  saw  the  abatement  of  the  waters, 
She  drew  near,  she  waded,  she  croaked  (?)  and  came  not 
back. 

Then  I  sent  everything  forth  to  the  four  quarters  of 
heaven,  I  offered  sacrifice, 

I  made  a  libation  upon  the  mountain’s  peak. 


— From  “  Cuneiform  Parallels  to  the 
Old  Testament,”  by  Rogers. 


SUNDAY  SESSION 

THE  RAINBOW  COVENANT 
Genesis  8  :20-22  ;  9  :8-20 
The  Memory  Verse 

“  I  do  set  my  bow  in  the  cloud,  and  it  shall  be  for  a  token 
of  a  covenant  between  me  and  the  earth.” — Genesis  9:13. 

The  Lesson  Story 

The  ark  of  Noah  rested  on  the  mountains  of  Ararat  after 
the  Flood.  Noah  did  not  allow  his  family  to  leave  at  once. 
He  kept  them  in  the  ark  until  God  spoke  to  him  and  told 
him  that  the  time  had  come  for  them  to  leave  their  refuge. 

How  glad  all  the  living  creatures  must  have  been  to  leave 
their  cramped  places  in  the  ark,  and  to  be  free  once  more  to 
go  wherever  they  wished !  The  birds  flew  to  the  trees ; 
they  busied  themselves  in  making  nests.  The  animals  hur¬ 
ried  into  the  forests,  seeking  food  and  shelter.  But  as 
Noah  and  his  family  came  out  from  the  ark,  they  must  have 


58 


JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 


been  lonely.  There  was  no  one  else  with  whom  they  could 
talk  or  plan  about  the  work  of  the  world  which  must  be 
done.  They  were  glad  and  thankful,  too,  that  they  had 
been  saved  when  everything  around  them  had  been  de¬ 
stroyed.  And  so  Noah,  in  order  to  show  his  thanksgiving 
to  God,  built  an  altar.  He  made  a  burnt  offering  to  God, 
sacrificing  birds  and  animals.  And  because  God  knew  that 
Noah’s  heart  was  right,  he  was  pleased  with  the  sacrifice. 
He  planned  good  things  for  the  world,  and  in  his  heart 
made  a  wonderful  promise  to  man :  “  While  the  earth  re- 
maineth,  seedtime  and  harvest,  and  cold  and  heat,  and  sum¬ 
mer  and  winter,  and  day  and  night  shall  not  cease.” 

In  order  to  strengthen  Noah’s  courage,  and  to  make  him 
sure  that  God  was  planning  good  things  for  him,  God 
spoke  to  him.  He  said  that  never  again  should  such  a  great 
flood  come  to  the  earth.  As  a  sign  of  this,  he  said  that  he 
set  the  rainbow  in  the  sky,  so  that  whenever  human  beings 
in  the  future  saw  the  many-colored  bow,  they  might  re¬ 
member  his  promise  of  goodness  and  kindness  to  the  people 
of  the  world. 

So  when  you  see  the  rainbow  after  a  summer  rain,  re¬ 
member  what  God  said  to  Noah — “  I  do  set  my  bow  in  the 
cloud,  and  it  shall  be  for  a  token  of  a  covenant  between  me 
and  the  earth.” 


Map  Work 

Find  on  the  map  of  Asia  in  your  day-school  geography 
the  “  mountains  of  Ararat,”  and  make  a  small  copy  of  the 
region  in  your  notebook. 

Notebook  Work 

Enter  this  lesson  in  your  notebook.  As  a  decoration 
draw  a  rainbow  across  the  top  of  the  page,  putting  in  the 
colors,  either  with  crayons  or  with  paints.  The  colors  in 
their  order  from  the  bottom  to  top  are  as  follows :  Red, 
orange,  yellow,  green,  blue,  indigo,  violet. 

Continue  the  family  tree  of  Adam  which  you  started  with 
Chapter  V  and  put  in  the  names  of  the  three  sons  of  Noah, 
Shem,  Ham,  and  Japheth. 


JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS  59 

Putting  the:  Lesson  Into  the  Life  oe  the  Class 

A  “  covenant  ”  is  a  promise.  God’s  promise  of  blessing 
for  Noah  is  intended  for  us  also.  We  know  that  he  will 
keep  his  covenant. 

What  is  our  part  of  the  covenant  ?  What  are  we  to  do  ? 

God  is  pleased  with  our  offerings  to  him  if  our  hearts  are 
right. 

God  saves  from  danger  those  who  trust  him  and  try  to 
do  his  will. 


The  Lesson  Truth  in  Your  Life 

As  you  read  the  lesson  to-day,  and  think  of  God’s  promise 
of  blessing  to  the  people  of  the  world,  think  of  the  greatest 
Blessing  of  all  which  he  has  given  to  us — his  Son,  Jesus 
Christ,  our  Saviour.  Try  each  day  to  be  more  like  him,  and 
so  more  pleasing  to  God.  We  know  more  of  what  God 
wants  us  to  be  than  Noah  did,  and  so  we  can  be  more  like 
Jesus,  and  more  pleasing  to  the  Father. 


EXPRESSIONAL  SESSION 

FOLLOWING  A  GOOD  EXAMPLE 
John  13:15;  I  Thessalonians  1:6,  7 

Suggestions  for  the  Leader’s  Opening  Address 

There  were  many  ways  in  which  Noah  set  an  example 
which  it  would  be  well  for  us  to  follow.  He  “  walked  with 
God.”  He  “  was  a  righteous  man,  and  perfect.”  “  Accord¬ 
ing  to  all  that  God  commanded  him,  so  did  he.”  For  these 
reasons,  “  God  blessed  Noah.” 

But  we  who  live  since  the  days  of  Christ  have  a  better 
Example  before  our  eyes  even  than  Noah,  for  we  have 
Jesus,  the  Saviour,  who  is  the  perfect  Example  of  how  God 
wants  his  followers  to  live.  Let  us  try  to  follow  him,  and 
to  live  as  he  has  shown  us  how  to  live. 


60 


JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 
The  Class  Prayer 

O  Jesus,  we  would  live  in  the  way  that  thou  wouldest  have 
us  to  live.  Help  us  to  follow  thee  as  our  Example.  Help 
us  each  day  to  be  more  like  thee.  We  ask  in  thy  name. 
Amen. 


Verses  for  Use  in  the  Meeting 

John  13:15;  I  Thessalonians  1:6,  7;  I  Peter  2:21;  I 
Timothy  4:12;  1:16. 


Hymn  for  Use  in  the  Meeting 


“  Up  to  Thee  Sweet  Childhood  Looketh.” 


Questions  for  Use  in  the  Meeting 


1.  How  many  people  were  saved  in  the  ark? 

2.  How  long  did  the  Flood  last? 

3.  What  was  the  first  act  of  Noah  after  the  Flood? 

4.  What  was  the  meaning  of  the  rainbow  ? 

5.  In  what  ways  did  Noah  set  an  example  which  Juniors 
may  follow? 

6.  Who  is  the  perfect  Pattern  for  Juniors  to  follow? 


Topics  for  Discussion  or  Reports 

1.  New  Testament  References  to  Noah.  (Matthew 
24:37,  38;  Luke  17:26,  27;  Hebrews  11:7;  I  Peter  3:20; 
II  Peter  2:5.) 

2.  The  Story  of  the  Flood. 

3.  Noah’s  Act  of  Thanksgiving. 

4.  The  Story  of  the  Rainbow. 

5.  How  God  Kept  His  Promise. 

6.  The  Perfect  Pattern. 

7.  How  Juniors  Can  Follow  Jesus’  Example. 

8.  Following  Jesus  Day  by  Day. 

To  Read  in  the  Meeting 

“  Wherever  the  rainbow  arches  the  sky  it  .  .  .  declares 
the  loving  thought  of  God  for  all  his  creatures.  It  counsels 
us  to  be  bountiful  toward  one  another.  Matthew  5  :45.  It 


JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 


61 


teaches  us  to  be  kind  to  animals  because  they  are  included 
in  the  covenant.  Genesis  9:12.  As  the  rainbow  spans  the 
sky  after  a  shower,  so  also  it  spans  the  ages  with  its  lesson 
of  trust.” 

All  through  the  history  of  the  world,  good  men  have  set 
an  example  for  us  to  follow.  Noah  was  one  of  the  first  of 
those  who  set  such  an  example. 

Noah  did  what  he  knew  it  was  right  to  do,  though  he 
stood  alone  against  all  the  people  of  the  world.  So  he 
saved  his  family  from  destruction. 

Jesus  did  what  he  knew  it  was  right  to  do,  and  so  saved 
all  the  people  of  the  world. 

Noah  worshiped  God  with  all  his  heart,  and  God  was 
pleased  with  his  offering.  God  will  be  pleased  with  our 
offerings  if  we  are  obedient  and  loving  and  true  to  him. 


STORIES  OF  THREE  PATRIARCHS 


CHAPTER  VII 

WEEK  DAY  SESSION 

THE  EARLY  HISTORY  OF  ABRAHAM 

Genesis  11:27-32 
The  Memory  Verse 

“  By  faith  Abraham,  when  he  was  called,  obeyed  .  .  .  and 
he  went  out,  not  knowing  whither  he  went.” — Hebrews 
1 1  :8a,  c. 


The  Lesson  Story 

Many,  many  years  had  passed  since  the  days  of  Noah. 
Again  there  were  many  people  on  the  earth,  and  they  had 
scattered  from  the  mountains  of  Ararat  to  distant  parts  of 
the  world.  By  this  time  there  were  separate  tribes  and  na¬ 
tions  who  spoke  different  languages,  and  who  had  forgotten 
all  about  the  one  true  God.  Of  these  times,  too.  we  have 
other  records  than  those  given  in  the  Bible,  so  that  we  can 
tell  more  about  the  people  than  the  Bible  tells  us.  And 
though  it  is  the  people  whose  history  is  given  in  the  Bible 
in  whom  we  are  most  interested,  we  are  always  glad  to  find 
other  records  of  these  same  times. 

Our  lesson  for  to-day  begins  in  a  city  named  “  Ur  of  the 
Chaldees,”  and  scholars  interested  in  ancient  history  have 
found  out  many  things  about  this  city.  It  was  situated  in 
the  country  which  was  later  called  “  Chaldea,”  or  “  Babv- 
Ionia,”  which  is  now  called  “  Persia,”  on  a  strip  of  land 
along  the  Euphrates  River.  LA  was  on  the  west  shore  of 
the  river.  It  was  a  great  city,  teeming  with  life,  and  its 
people  were  rich  and  civilized.  They  no  longer  lived  as 
Cain  and  Abel,  or  even  as  Noah  had  lived.  They  were  ruled 
by  a  mighty  king ;  they  had  many  laws  which  governed  their 


65 


66 


JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 


lives  and  acts.  They  could  read  and  write,  and  knew  the 
multiplication  table.  They  understood  medicine  and  surgery. 
They  built  huge  temples  to  their  gods,  and  they  protected 
their  city  with  mighty  walls.  The  country  was  very  rich, 
and  was  famous  for  its  wheat  and  its  dates. 

We  know  all  these  things  because  specimens  of  their 
bricks  and  of  the  queer  clay  writing  tablets  which  they  used, 
have  been  found  by  explorers  in  Babylonia  and  Assyria. 

Among  all  the  people  of  Ur  there  were  only  a  few  who 
worshiped  the  true  God.  One  of  these  was  Abram,  who  was 
later  called  Abraham.  Lie  was  a  descendant  of  Shem,  the 
son  of  Noah.  Although  Abraham’s  father,  Terah,  was  an 
idolater,  or  worshiper  of  idols,  Abraham  must  have  known 
in  some  way  that  this  was  wrong,  for  God  appeared  to  him  in 
his  glory,  and  told  him  that  he  was  to  leave  the  city  of  Ur, 
and  go  to  a  land  which  should  be  shown  to  him.  Acts  7 :2,  3. 
And  Abraham  prepared  to  obey  God’s  command ;  he  per¬ 
suaded  his  father,  Terah,  to  go  with  him,  and  took  also  his 
orphan  nephew  Lot,  the  son  of  his  dead  brother,  Haran. 

The  family  of  Terah  was  well-to-do,  and  of  prominence 
in  Ur.  Abraham,  who  was  the  oldest  son,  had  himself  mar¬ 
ried  a  beautiful  young  woman  named  “  Sarai,”  a  word 
which  means  “  princess,”  and  which  shows  that  she  was  a 
member  of  a  family  of  good  standing  in  the  city.  She  was 
later  called  “  Sarah.”  It  meant  a  great  deal  for  a  family 
such  as  that  of  Abraham  to  leave  a  homeland  where  they 
had  lived  long  and  were  well-known. 

Perhaps  you  know  what  it  means  to  move  nowadays. 
But  in  the  days  of  Abraham  it  meant  something  very  differ¬ 
ent  from  what  it  means  to-day,  and  more  like  what  it  meant 
when  our  ancestors  in  the  days  of  early  American  history 
started  across  the  plains  and  mountains  in  their  covered 
wagons  on  the  way  to  the  unexplored  West. 

Abraham  was  rich.  He  had  many  servants  and  herds  of 
cattle  and  flocks  of  sheep.  He  gathered  together  all  his 
possessions.  Tents  were  prepared  and  all  sorts  of  fittings 
were  provided.  Camels  were  obtained,  and  on  these  ani¬ 
mals  the  household  goods  were  loaded.  The  sheep  and  the 
cattle  were  driven  together,  and  at  last  all  was  ready. 

The  caravan  left  Ur.  At  first  they  moved  northwest, 
along  the  river.  They  traveled  slowly  for  five  hundred 


JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 


67 


miles.  At  last  they  came  to  Haran,  a  city  of  Mesopotamia. 
And  here  the  journey  ended  for  a  time,  for  the  old  father 
Terah,  who  was  two  hundred  and  five  years  old,  was  too 
feeble  to  travel  farther.  He  could  not  go  on.  And  so  the 
family  settled  in  Haran  and  remained  there  as  long  as  Terah 
lived. 


Handwork 

The  family  of  Abraham  probably  traveled  as  the  shep¬ 
herd  people  of  the  East  travel  nowadays.  They  travel  from 
one  place  to  another  with  all  their  herds  of  cattle  and  flocks 
of  sheep.  They  live  in  tents  and  carry  with  them  all  their 
household  goods. 

For  the  lessons  on  Abraham  it  will  be  interesting  to  rep¬ 
resent  on  the  sand  table  an  encampment  such  as  that  of 


Abraham’s  family.  The  first  object  to  make  for  this  en¬ 
campment  is  the  tent.  These  tents  were  really  made  of  the 
skins  of  animals,  but  you  can  make  them  of  paper.  For 
each  tent  take  a  strip  of  heavy  brown  paper  8^2  inches  long, 
by  2  inches  wide.  Crease  in  the  middle  and  also  Ijd  inch 
from  each  end.  Take  nine  toothpicks,  match  sticks,  or  other 
pieces  of  wood.  Three  of  these  should  be  a  little  longer 
than  the  others.  Use  these  as  the  supports  for  the  center 
of  the  tent,  and  three  of  the  others  at  each  end.  You  can 
see  how  the  tent  was  made  by  looking  at  the  picture.  Some¬ 
times  the  skins  of  animals  were  hung  as  curtains  back  and 
front. 


68 


JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 
Notebook  Work 

Noah’s  son,  Shem,  was  the  ancestor  of  Terah,  Abraham’s 
father.  Enter  the  names  of  Terah’s  sons  in  your  notebook. 
Abraham  married  Sarah.  Haran,  who  died  before  the 
family  left  Ur,  had  one  son,  Lot.  Remember  his  name,  for 
we  shall  have  more  about  him  later. 

Map  Work 

Draw  in  your  notebook  a  map  of  the  country  of  the 
Chaldees.  Be  prepared  to  put  it  on  the  blackboard.  Trace 
the  journey  of  the  caravan  to  Haran. 

Expressional  Activity 

Abraham  obeyed  God.  though  he  did  not  know  all  of 
God’s  plans  for  him.  Let  us  this  week  try  to  obey  our 
parents  and  our  teachers,  even  though  we  do  not  always 
know  why. 


Memory  Work 
Learn  by  heart  Acts  7 :2,  3. 


SUNDAY  SESSION 

THE  CALL  OF  ABRAHAM 
Genesis  12:1-9 
The  Memory  Verse 

“  In  thee  shall  all  the  families  of  the  earth  be  blessed.” 

— Genesis  12  :3b. 

The  Lesson  Story 

The  family  of  Abraham  remained  in  Haran  until  the  old 
father,  Terah,  died.  Then  again  God’s  command  came  to 
Abraham,  this  time  with  a  wonderful  promise,  “  Get  thee 
out  of  thy  country  .  .  .  unto  the  land  that  I  will  show  thee: 
and  I  will  make  of  thee  a  great  nation,  and  I  will  bless 


JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS  69 

thee  .  .  .  and  in  thee  shall  all  the  families  of  the  earth  be 
blessed.” 

Again  Abraham  listened  to  God’s  voice  and  obeyed. 
Again  he  ordered  his  shepherds  and  his  herdsmen  to  gather 
together  the  flocks  of  sheep  and  cattle.  The  household 
goods  and  the  tents  were  placed  once  more  on  the  backs  of 
the  tall  camels.  Abraham  and  Sarah,  his  wife,  and  Lot, 
his  nephew,  were  ready.  The  caravan  started.  Where 
they  were  going  they  did  not  know,  but  Abraham  trusted  in 
God.  He  knew  that  whatever  God  did  for  him  would  be 
best. 

Slowly  the  caravan  moved  along.  Nowadays  a  caravan 
of  this  sort  will  travel  about  twenty  miles  a  day,  and  prob¬ 


ably  the  family  of  Abraham  moved  at  about  this  same 
rate  of  speed.  Sometimes  they  stopped  to  let  the  flocks  of 
sheep  and  cattle  feed  during  the  day,  traveling  at  night 
when  it  was  cooler.  Sometimes  they  staved  for  several 
days  in  one  place,  where  there  was  good  pasturage.  But 
always  they  moved  south,  going  in  the  direction  that  God 
told  them  to  go.  Perhaps  they  went  through  Carchemish, 
and  through  Hamath,  and  Damascus,  said  to  be  the  oldest 
city  in  the  world,  for  even  in  the  long-ago  days  there  were 
great  trade  roads  through  this  city.  At  last  they  crossed 
the  Jordan  and  came  into  the  city  of  Shechem.  And  there, 
under  a  great  oak  tree,  called  the  oak  of  Moreh,  God  came 
to  Abraham  and  told  him  that  this  was  the  Promised  Land 
— the  land  which  should  belong  to  him  and  to  his  children 
after  him. 

In  Shechem  Abraham  built  an  altar  to  God,  who  had  ap- 


70 


JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 


peared  to  him  there.  But  for  some  reason  he  moved  again, 
taking  his  family  and  his  herds  of  cattle  and  his  flocks  of 
sheep  to  Bethel.  There,  too,  he  built  an  altar  to  God,  but 
from  there,  too,  he  moved  south,  journeying  on  and  on  as 
God  showed  him  the  way.  For  Abraham  was  obedient,1" 'so 
obedient  that  the  Bible  calls  him  “  the  friend  of  God.”  He 
became  the  ancestor  of  the  Hebrew  race,  who  were  the 
people  chosen  of  God  to  tell  of  him  to  all  the  world  and  to 
carry  on  his  worship  through  hundreds  and  thousands  of 
years.  Noah  set  before  us  an  example  of  obedience.  Abra¬ 
ham  sets  before  us  such  an  example,  too.  He  did  those 
things  that  God  commanded  him  to  do.  He  was  obedient 
in  every  way.  And  so  God  rewarded  him  as  he  will  reward 
all  those  who  truly  try  to  obey  him  and  to  do  his  commands, 
as  long  as  the  world  shall  last. 


Putting  the:  Lesson  Into  the:  Life:  of  Tin:  ('lass 

God  blessed  Abraham  because  he  was  obedient  to  his 
commands,  and  did  those  things  which  God  wanted  him 
to  do.  We  Juniors  of  to-day  should  try  to  be  obedient  as 
Abraham  was.  God  tells  us  what  he  wants  us  to  do  through 
his  words,  the  Bible,  and  through  our  teachers  in  school 
and  in  Sunday  school ;  through  our  parents  and  all  others 
who  wish  for  our  good.  We  must  try  to  do  his  will  in 
every  way. 

God  has  given  to  us  the  blessing  which  he  promised  to 
Abraham,  for  we  of  to-day  in  civilized  America  know  the 
story  of  the  life  and  death  of  Jesus,  our  Saviour.  We  have 
the  blessing  which  God  promised  to  Abraham.  We  should 
prove  ourselves  worthy  of  the  blessing. 

The  Lesson  Truth  in  Your  Life 

If  you  would  follow  the  example  of  Abraham,  be  obedient 
to  the  command  of  God  in  whatever  way  it  comes  to  you. 

Map  Work 

See  how  many  places  mentioned  in  this  lesson  you  can 
find  on  a  Bible  map  and  on  a  modern  map  of  Bible  lands. 


JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 


71 


Traveling  in  the  East  To-Day 

Every  English  pilgrim  to  the  Lloly  Land,  even  the  most 
reverential  and  the  most  fastidious,  is  delighted  to  trace  and 
to  record  the  likeness  of  patriarchal  manners  and  costumes 
in  the  Arabian  chiefs.  .  .  .  Such  as  we  see  them  now,  start¬ 
ing  on  a  pilgrimage,  or  a  journey,  were  Abraham  and  his 
brother’s  son,  when  they  “  went  forth  to  go  into  the  land  of 
Canaan.”  “  All  their  substance  that  they  had  gathered  is 
heaped  high  on  the  backs  of  their  kneeling  camels.  The 
slaves  that  they  had  bought  in  Haran  run  along  by  their 
sides.  Round  about  them  are  their  flocks  of  sheep  and 
goats,  and  the  asses  moving  underneath  the  towering  forms 
of  the  camels.  The  chief  is  there,  amidst  the  stir  of  move¬ 
ment,  or  resting  at  noon  within  his  black  tent,  marked  out 
from  the  rest  by  his  cloak  of  brilliant  scarlet,  by  the  fillet 
of  rope  which  binds  the  loose  handkerchief  round  his  head, 
by  the  spear  which  he  holds  in  his  hand  to  guide  the  march, 
and  to  fix  the  encampment.  The  chief’s  wife,  the  princess 
of  the  tribe,  is  there  in  her  own  tent,  to  make  the  cakes  and 
prepare  the  usual  meal  of  milk  and  butter;  the  slave  or  the 


72 


JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 


child  is  ready  to  bring  in  the  red  lentile  soup  for  the  weary 
hunter,  or  to  kill  the  calf  for  the  unexpected  guest. 

— Stanley,  “  History  of  the  Jewish  Church.” 


EXPRESSION AL  SESSION 

HOW  GOD  KEPT  THE  PROMISE 
Galatians  3:8,  9,  13,  14 

Suggestions  for  the  Leader’s  Opening  Address 

God  promised  to  Abraham  that  in  him  all  the  nations  of 
the  world  should  be  blessed.  It  was  hundreds  and  hundreds 
of  years  before  this  promise  was  fulfilled,  but  at  last  the 
time  came  when  Jesus  Christ,  the  Descendant  of  Abraham, 
was  born  as  a  little  child.  In  him  the  promise  was  brought 
to  fulfillment.  Jesus  lived,  and  died  on  the  cross  for  our 
sakes,  and  through  his  birth  and  life  and  death,  all  the 
nations  of  the  world  have  been  blessed.  He  is  the  Fulfill¬ 
ment  of  prophecy.  His  coming  was  the  greatest  blessing 
that  the  world  has  ever  known. 

The  Class  Prayer 

Our  Father  in  heaven,  we  thank  thee  that  thy  promise  to 
Abraham  has  been  fulfilled  in  the  coming  of  Jesus  Christ 
to  the  world.  He  is  the  Fulfillment  of  all  that  blessing  and 
in  him  all  the  world  is  blessed.  We  thank  thee  for  the  gift 
of  thy  only  Son  to  the  world.  In  Jesus’  name.  Amen. 

V Ltx.'ji/S  for  usl  in  .j.i_  _\i tilting 

Matthew  1:1;  Romans  4:9,  13;  Galatians  3:6-9;  James 
2:21-24;  Acts  7:2,  3;  John  8:39,  58;  Hebrews  6:13,  14; 
11:9,  10;  Psalm  105:42;  Acts  2:38,  39. 

Hymns  for  Use  in  the  Meeting 

“  How  Firm  a  Foundation.” 

“  Ancient  of  Days.’’ 


JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 


73 


“  The  God  of  Abraham  Praise.” 

“  Come,  Sound  His  Praise  Abroad.” 

“The  Lord  Is  King!  Lift  Up  Thy  Voice.” 

Questions  tor  Use  in  the  Meeting 

1.  What  was  God’s  promise  to  Abraham? 

2.  Why  did  God  make  this  promise  to  him? 

3.  How  long  was  it  before  the  promise  was  fulfilled? 

4.  How  was  the  promise  fulfilled? 

5.  How  has  the  blessing  promised  to  Abraham  been  a 
blessing  to  the  world  of  to-day? 

6.  How  has  it  been  a  blessing  to  you? 

Topics  eor  Discussion  or  Reports 

1.  The  Promise  to  Abraham. 

2.  The  Promise  to  Us. 

3.  Why  God  Chose  Abraham  Through  Whom  to  Give 
the  Blessing. 

4.  How  Abraham  Is  an  Example  to  Us. 

5.  Modern  Pioneers  for  the  Sake  of  Religion. 

6.  Why  the  Pilgrims  Left  Their  Homeland. 

7.  Why  the  Puritans,  the  Quakers,  and  the  Huguenots 
Came  to  America. 

8.  Why  America  Is  a  Christian  Nation. 

To  Read  in  the  Meeting 

Abraham  was  the  first  pioneer  for  the  sake  of  his  re¬ 
ligion.  There  have  been  many  since  his  day  who  have  left 
their  homes  and  gone  to  a  new  land  of  which  they  knew 
nothing,  for  the  sake  of  their  religion. 

In  the  first  century  a.  d.  Paul  and  Silas  left  the  home 
church  in  Antioch  and  Syria  and  went  as  the  first  mission¬ 
aries  to  strange  lands. 

In  the  sixth  century  Gregory  of  Rome  saw  some  blue¬ 
eyed  slaves  for  sale  in  the  market  place. 

“Who  are  they?”  he  asked,  and  when  he  was  told  that 
they  were  Angles,  he  exclaimed,  “Truly  they  are  not 
Angles,  but  angels !  ”  And  so  interested  was  he  in  their 
appearance  that  though  he  himself  could  not  leave  his  home 


74 


JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 


in  Rome,  he  sent  a  missionary  to  England  to  teach  the 
Angles  about  the  true  God. 

The  Pilgrims,  the  Puritans,  the  Quakers,  the  Huguenots, 
all  left  their  homes  in  Europe  to  come  to  strange  America, 
in  order  that  they  might  worship  freely. 

Governor  Winthrop  of  New  England  left  his  home  in 
England  to  come  to  America  because  he  thought  that  the 
Puritans  “  had  no  place  to  fly  to  but  the  wilderness,”  where 
they  might  worship  God.  Like  Abraham,  Winthrop  brought 
with  him  from  his  homeland  large  groups  of  people — over 
seven  hundred  people  with  their  horses  and  cattle.  The 
missionaries  of  to-day  go  out  from  their  homes  and  teach 
the  gospel  in  foreign  lands. 

And  so  the  blessing  promised  to  Abraham  is  carried  on, 
until  to-day  in  the  twentieth  century  truly,  through  Christ — 
that  is,  through  Abraham’s  Descendant — all  the  nations  of 
the  world  are  blessed. 


CHAPTER  VIII 

WEEK  DAY  SESSION 

THE  LAND  OF  PROMISE 
Genesis  13:1-5,  14-18 
The  Memory  Verse 

“  All  the  land  which  thou  seest,  to  thee  will  I  give  it.” — 
Genesis  13:15. 

The  Lesson  Story 

On  and  on  moved  Abraham  and  his  caravan,  always  south 
until  he  came  to  the  Land  of  Promise— Canaan.  And  in 
those  days  Canaan  was  indeed  a  land  of  promise,  a  land  of 
wonderful  possibilities,  where  grains  and  fruits  of  all  kinds 
grew,  where  there  were  rich  pasture  lands  for  the  herds  and 
flocks  of  cattle  which  Abraham  brought  with  him,  where 
there  were  beautiful  streams  and  snow-covered  mountains 
and  lakes  filled  with  fish  of  many  kinds.  Canaan,  or,  as  it 
was  later  called,  Palestine,  is  a  little  country.  It  is  just 
about  the  size  of  our  State  of  New  Hampshire,  for  its  great¬ 
est  width  is  about  a  hundred  miles,  and  its  length  from  north 
to  south  about  one  hundred  and  fifty  miles.  At  the  north  is 
a  great,  snow-clad  mountain,  called  Mount  Hermon,  and 
south  of  this  there  are  two  other  famous  mountains,  Mount 
Ebal  and  Mount  Gerizim.  At  the  south,  the  land  ends  in 
the  desert. 

In  this  little  Land  of  Canaan,  there  are  four  distinct 
divisions,  or  zones,  which  extend  in  parallel  lines  from  north 
to  south.  First  there  is  the  narrow  coast  plain  along  the 
Mediterranean  Sea.  Just  east  of  this,  as  you  can  see  on 
your  map,  is  the  central  plateau.  This  sinks  gradually  into 
the  Plain  of  Esdraelon  which  rises  ever  higher  as  we  go 
south  until  we  reach  the  fertile  hills  of  Samaria ;  as  we  go 
still  farther  south  these  merge  into  the  hills  of  Judah.  The 
third  zone  contains  the  Jordan  River  and  the  Dead  Sea  Val- 

75 


76 


JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 


Above  G000  ft 


From  4000  to  6000  ft, 
“  2000  to  4000  ft. 

“  600  to  2000  ft 


“  Sea  level  to  500  ft. 
Below  SeaJLevel  Zidon 


Mt.Carn ! 


Joppa 


Ash  dolly 


SCALE  OP  MILES 


JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 


77 


ley.  The  fourth  zone  includes  the  plateaus  which  extend  east 
of  the  Dead  Sea  into  the  Arabian  Desert. 

Look  again  on  your  map,  on  page  76.  A  little  below  the 
center  you  will  find  Mount  Ebal  and  Mount  Gerizim,  and 
between  them  you  will  find  Shechem,  where  Abraham  first 
settled  in  the  Promised  Land.  A  little  later  he  moved  south 
to  Bethel,  which,  you  see,  is  in  the  zone  marked  “  Mountain 
Range.”  This  zone  is  between  two  thousand  and  four  thou¬ 
sand  feet  high. 

The  Land  of  Canaan  does  not  touch  the  Mediterranean 
Sea,  but  it  has  two  important  inland  seas — the  Dead  Sea, 
which  has  no  outlet,  and  which  is  consequently  salt,  and  the 
Sea  of  Galilee.  These  two  seas  are  connected  by  the  beau¬ 
tiful  Jordan  River.  The  two  seas  are  only  sixty-five  miles 
apart,  but  because  of  its  turnings,  the  river  itself  between 
the  two  seas  measures  nearly  two  hundred  miles.  The  Dead 
Sea  is  the  deepest  depression  in  the  earth’s  surface,  for  its 
surface  is  1292  feet  below  the  level  of  the  Mediterranean 
and  its  bottom  is  1300  feet  below  that.  To  the  east  rises 
the  long  mountain  range  of  Moab ;  on  the  west  there  are  also 
hills  and  cliffs,  pierced  every  three  or  four  miles  by  a  nar¬ 
row  gorge.  “  These  gorges  are  barren,  except  in  their  rocky 
beds,  the  only  ways  of  passage  up  them,  where  a  few  trees 
live  on  the  water  that  trickles  out  of  sight  beneath  the  gray 
shingle.  The  western  range  is  bare,  unbroken,  menacing ; 
and  there  are  few  places  in  the  world  where  the  sun  beats 
with  so  fierce  a  heat.” 

But  in  the  days  of  Abraham,  the  region  near  the  Dead 
Sea  was  probably  different  from  what  it  is  to-day,  for  near 
it  were  five  great  cities,  called  “  the  cities  of  the  plain.” 
Two  of  these  cities,  Sodom  and  Gomorrah,  were  rich  and 
prosperous,  but  very  wicked.  To-day  no  one  knows  exactly 
where  they  were,  for  they  were  destroyed  in  the  days  of 
Abraham,  but  their  names  have  come  down  to  us  as  terms 
of  wickedness  and  sin  through  all  the  hundreds  of  years 
since  the  time  of  the  patriarch. 

It  was  this  land  which  God  promised  to  Abraham  and  to 
his  descendants — Canaan,  or  Palestine,  the  Promised  Land. 

Handwork  and  Map  Work 

For  the  lessons  of  the  next  few  weeks  it  will  be  interest- 


78 


JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 


ing  to  make  a  relief  map  of  Palestine.  Abraham  and  Lot 
are  making  a  home  in  the  Promised  Land,  and  you  will  be 
interested  in  learning  about  some  of  the  places  where  they 
lived.  Probably  you  know  something  about  making  relief 
maps  from  your  day-school  work,  but  you  will  find  direc¬ 
tions  given  below.  To  make  a  map  of  Canaan  study  the 
map  on  opposite  page  and  practice  on  the  sand  table  before 
you  try  to  follow  the  directions.  Your  teacher  will  help  you. 

How  to  Make  a  Relief  Map  of  Palestine:  Take  a  cup 
of  flour,  a  cup  of  salt,  and  a  little  powdered  alum ;  mix  into 
a  stiff  paste  with  warm  water.  Draw  an  outline  map  of  Pal¬ 
estine  on  heavy  cardboard.  Most  Bibles  contain  maps  which 
show  the  elevations  and  depressions  of  the  Holy  Land.  The 
hills  and  valleys  of  the  land  can  be  molded  from  these. 
When  the  maps  are  dry  they  can  be  colored  with  water 
colors,  yellowish  for  the  desert  regions,  green  for  fertile 
portions,  blue  for  water  areas.  The  cities  can  be  indicated 
by  white  dots. 


Notebook  Work 

On  a  new  page  of  your  notebook,  draw  an  outline  map  of 
Canaan,  putting  in  the  places  mentioned  in  last  week’s  les¬ 
sons  and  in  this  week’s  lessons. 

Expressionae  Activity 

Try  this  week  particularly  to  be  obedient  and  faithful 
in  your  work,  remembering  the  example  of  the  faithful 
Abraham. 


“  The  God  of  Abraham  Praise  ” 

This  hymn  is  a  translation  of  the  Hebrew  Yigdal,  which 
was  written  in  the  Middle  Ages,  but  which  is  still  contained 
in  the  Hebrew  prayer  books,  and  chanted  in  many  syna¬ 
gogues  in  the  world. 

Our  translation  was  made  about  the  year  1770  by  Thomas 
Olivers,  a  friend  of  Wesley,  who  brought  to  him  the  hymn 
one  day,  saying,  “  Look  at  this;  I  have  rendered  it  from  the 
Hebrew,  giving  it  as  far  as  I  could,  a  Christian  character, 
and  I  have  called  on  Leoni  the  Jew,  who  has  given  me  a 


Copyright ,  lbUo,  by  U  nderwood  <jv  L  nderwood 


RELIEF  MAP  OF  PALESTINE.  FROM  THE  PALESTINE  EXPLORATION 

SOCIETA' 

The  map  we  see  here  was  modeled  from  charts  prepared  by  the  Palestine  Explora¬ 
tion  Society,  but  in  order  to  render  important  points  easily  distinguishable,  the 
vertical  scale  was  made  three  and  a  half  times  as  great  as  the  horizontal  scale. 
The  numbered  markers  identify  the  following-named  places : 


1.  Hebron. 

11.  Plain  of  Esdraelon. 

21.  Tyre. 

2.  Bethlehem. 

12.  Mountains  of  Gilboa. 

22.  Sidon. 

3.  Jerusalem. 

13.  Bethshan. 

23.  Dan. 

4.  Mizpah. 

14.  Mount  Tabor. 

24.  Csesarea  Philippi 

5.  Bethel. 

15.  Nazareth. 

25.  Mount  Hermon. 

6.  Jericho. 

16.  Carmel. 

26.  Damascus. 

7.  Joppa. 

17.  Tiberias. 

27.  Jerash. 

8.  Ebal  and  Gerizim. 

18.  Mount  of  Beatitudes. 

28.  Jabbolc. 

9.  Samaria. 

19.  Capernaum. 

29.  Nebo. 

10.  Dothan. 

20.  Bethsaida  Julius. 

JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 


79 


synagogue  melody  to  suit  it ;  here  is  the  tune,  and  it  is  to  be 
called  ‘  Leonid  ” 

“  The  God  of  Abraham  praise, 

Who  reigns  enthroned  above; 

Ancient  of  everlasting  days, 

And  God  of  love : 

JEHOVAH  !  Great  I  AM  ! 

By  earth  and  heaven  confessed; 

I  bow  and  bless  the  sacred  name, 

Forever  blessed. 

“The  God  of  Abraham  praise, 

At  whose  supreme  command 

From  earth  I  rise,  and  seek  the  joys 
At  his  right  hand : 

I  all  on  earth  forsake, 

Its  wisdom,  fame,  and  power; 

And  him  my  only  portion  make, 

My  Shield  and  Tower.” 


SUNDAY  SESSION 

GIVING  LOT  FIRST  CHOICE 
Genesis  13:6-13 
The  Memory  Verse 

“  Let  there  be  no  strife,  I  pray  thee,  between  me  and  thee.” 
— Genesis  13  :8. 


The  Lesson  Story 

After  Abraham  and  his  family  reached  Canaan  there  was 
a  famine  in  the  land  and  they  moved  still  farther  on,  to 
Egypt.  There  they  remained  until  the  famine  was  over.  AH 
the  time  the  flocks  and  herds  were  increasing.  All  the  time 
Abraham  and  Lot,  his  nephew  w  ■  -  becoming  richer.  They 
possessed  not  only  cattle,  hue  silver  and  gold,  also.  When 
the  danger  of  famine  was  past,  they  returned  to  Canaan  and 
settled  in  the  place  where  Abraham  had  pitched  his  tent  in 
the  beginning  of  his  stay  in  Canaan — that  is,  near  Bethel, 
where  he  had  built  an  altar  to  Jehovah  and  had  worshiped 
him. 


80 


JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 


With  all  the  great  and  rich  land  of  Canaan  before  them, 
you  would  think  that  Abraham  and  Lot  would  have  been 
able  to  live  peaceably  and  happily.  But  “  the  land  was  not 
able  to  bear  them,  that  they  might  dwell  together :  for  their 
substance  was  great.” 

The  herdsmen  who  had  charge  of  Abraham’s  cattle  and 
those  who  had  charge  of  Lot’s  cattle  began  to  quarrel. 

“  Your  sheep  and  oxen  are  getting  the  best  pasturage,” 
the  herdsmen  of  Abraham  would  say  to  those  of  Lot.  And 
Lot’s  men  would  laugh,  to  think  that  they  had  gotten  the 
best  place  first.  Finally  they  began  to  quarrel,  and  even  to 
fight  among  themselves.  There  was  no  peace  in  the  great 
tents,  for  the  men  were  always  arguing  and  fighting. 

Abraham  saw  that  something  must  be  done.  He  was 
older  and  wiser  than  Lot.  He-  was  the  chief.  He  might 
have  said  to  his  nephew :  “  God  has  given  me  all  this  land. 
It  is  to  belong  to  me  and  to  my  children  and  to  my  children’s 
children,  forever.  God  has  promised  this.  You  will  have 
to  find  another  home  for  yourself.” 

But  Abraham  was  not  that  sort  of  man.  He  was  reason¬ 
able.  He  was  a  faithful  follower  of  the  true  God.  He  did 
not  want  to  quarrel  and  fight  with  his  nephew.  So  one  day 
he  spoke  to  Lot,  and  invited  him  up  to  a  hilltop  where,  be¬ 
fore  their  eyes,  a  glorious  view  of  the  land  lay  before  them. 
They  were  on  a  hill  near  Bethel.  To  the  east  lay  the  rich 
plain  of  the  Jordan,  well  watered,  “  like  the  garden  of  Je¬ 
hovah  ”  There  lay  two  great  cities,  Sodom  and  Gomorrah, 
like  the  city  of  Ur  which  they  had  left  behind.  Through  the 
valley  lay  the  great  trade  routes,  leading  to  Egypt,  and  to 
Mesopotamia.  It  seemed  to  Lot  that  this  was  the  part  of 
the  land  which  he  should  choose.  His  uncle  might  have 
what  was  left. 

Lot  was  selfish.  He  was  inconsiderate.  As  the  younger 
man,  who  owed  everything  to  his  uncle,  he  should  not  have 
accepted  Abraham’s  generous  offer ;  he  should  have  left  the 
decision  to  Abraham.  But  he  did  not.  He  took  what  seemed 
to  him  the  best  part  of  the  country — the  plain  of  the  Jordan. 
He  and  his  family  and  his  herdsmen,  his  sheep  and  his  cattle 
and  his  oxen,  moved  eastward,  nearer  and  nearer  to  the 
cities  of  the  plain,  until  at  last  he  pitched  his  tent  close  to 


JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 


81 


the  city  of  Sodom  whose  people  were  “  wicked  and  sinners 
against  Jehovah  exceedingly.” 

But  Abraham  remained  in  the  Land  of  Canaan.  Lie  had 
done  right  in  avoiding  a  quarrel  with  his  nephew,  and  God 
was  pleased  with  him.  Again  God  gave  to  him  the  promise 
that  all  the  land,  north  and  south,  east  and  west,  should 
some  time  belong  to  him  and  to  his  family,  and  that  his  chil¬ 
dren  and  his  children’s  children  should  be  so  many  that  no 
man  could  count  them  any  more  than  he  could  count  the 
particles  of  the  dust  of  the  earth.  Again  God  told  Abraham 
to  go  through  the  land,  to  explore  it,  and  again  Abraham 
and  his  family  and  his  caravan  moved,  until  at  last  they 
pitched  their  tents  under  the  oaks  of  Mamre,  near  the  city 
of  Hebron.  Here  Abraham  again  built  an  altar  to  Jehovah. 
He  trusted  God  and  tried  in  every  way  to  do  God’s  will. 

Putting  the  Lesson  Into  the  Life  of  the  Class 

Abraham  saw  that  it  would  net  be  possible  for  his  herds¬ 
men  and  the  herdsmen  of  Lot  to  live  in  peace.  He  did  not 
quarrel  with  his  nephew.  Lie  settled  the  matter  by  giving 
the  choice  to  Lot,  even  though  he  was  older  than  Lot  and 
should  rightfully  have  had  the  first  choice.  (When  you  see 
that  you  are  in  danger  of  quarreling  with  one  of  your 
friends  and  playmates,  what  do  you  do?  Do  you  stick  up 
for  your  own  rights,  or  do  you  give  the  other  person  the 
first  choice?  Are  you  generous  or  are  you  selfish  r  If  you 
are  like  Abraham,  you  will  be  generous  and  kind,  even 
though  you  know  that  you  have  the  right  to  the  best. 

The  Lesson  Truth  in  Your  Life 

Abraham  was  a  peacemaker.  Although  he  lived  hundreds 
of  years  before  the  days  of  Jesus,  he  was  an  example  of 
those  whom  Jesus  meant  when  he  said,  “  Blessed  are  the 
peacemakers.”  Wey  too,  shall  be  blessed  if  we  try  to  keep 
from  quarreling  and  live  at  peace  with  all  those  whom  we 
meet. 


Handwork 

Make  on  the  sand  table  a  relief  map  of  the  country  which 
Abraham  and  Lot  saw  before  them  as  you  imagine  it  to  have 


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JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 


been.  Then  represent  the  places  where  they  were  living  at 
the  end  of  the  lesson.  Represent  the  plain  of  the  Jordan  by 
leveling  off  a  part  of  the  sand.  Represent  the  cities  of 
Sodom  and  Gomorrah,  and  Lot’s  encampment  near  Sodom. 
Then  put  at  some  distance  away  the  encampment  of  Abra¬ 
ham.  Near  this  site,  have  trees  to  represent  the  “  oaks  ”  of 
Mamre.  Leave  the  scene  on  the  sand  table  until  next  week, 
or  longer. 

A  View  of  the  Promised  Land 

The  following  description  of  Canaan  is  taken  from  George 
Adam  Smith’s  “  Historical  Geography  of  the  Holy  Land,” 
though  the  view  described  is  the  view  from  Mount  Ebal, 
and  not  from  the  place  where  Abraham  gave  to  Lot  the  first 
choice,  it  gives  to  you  a  picture  of  some  of  the  things  that 
they  saw  before  their  eyes.  Ebal  is  near  Shechem,  or 
Nablus,  where  Abraham  settled  first  when  he  went  to  the 
Promised  Land,  Genesis  12:6. 

“  The  view  from  Ebal  virtually  covers  the  whole  land. 
.  .  ,  All  the  four  long  zones,  two  of  the  four  frontiers, 
specimens  of  all  the  physical  features  and  most  of  the 
famous  scenes  of  history  are  in  sight.  .  .  . 

“  Looking  south,  you  have  at  your  feet  the  pass  through 
the  range,  with  Nablus;  then  over  it  the  mass  of  Gerizim, 
with  a  ruin  or  two;  and  then  twenty-four  miles  of  hilltops, 
at  the  back  of  which  you  dimly  discern  a  tower.  That  is 
Neby  Samwil,  the  ancient  Mizpeh.  Jerusalem  is  only  five 
miles  beyond,  and  to  the  west  the  tower  overlooks  the 
Shephelah.  Turning  westwards,  you  see — nay,  you  almost 
feel — the  range  letting  itself  down,  by  irregular  terraces,  on 
to  the  plain  ;  the  plain  itself  flattened  by  the  height  from 
which  you  look,  but  really  undulating  to  mounds  of  one  and 
two  hundred  feet;  beyond  the  plain  the  gleaming  sandhills 
of  the  coast  and  the  infinite  blue  sea.  .  .  .  Turning  north¬ 
wards,  we  have  the  long  ridge  of  Carmel  running  down  from 
its  summit,  perhaps  thirty-five  miles  distant,  to  the  low  hills 
that  separate  it  from  our  range ;  over  the  rest  of  this  the 
hollow  that  represents  Esdraelon ;  over  that  the  hills  of 
Galilee  in  a  haze,  and  above  the  haze  the  glistening  shoulders 
of  Hermon,  at  seventy-five  miles  of  distance.  .  .  . 

“  The  view  is  barer  than  a  European  eye  desires,  but  soft- 


JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 


83 


ened  by  the  haze  the  great  heat  sheds  over  all.  .  .  .  The 
hills  are  brown,  with  here  and  there  lighter  shades,  here 
and  there  darker.  Look  through  the  glass,  and  you  will 
see  that  the  lighter  are  wheat-fields  ripening,  and  the  darker 
are  olive  groves,  sometimes  two  miles  in  extent,  not  thickly 
planted  like  woods  in  our  land,  but  with  trees  wide  of  each 
other,  and  the  ground  broken  up  beneath.  .  .  .  Near  us  the 
only  great  trees  are  the  walnuts  and  sycomores  of  Nablus, 
immediately  below.  .  .  .  Anciently  more  villages  would  have 
been  visible,  and  more  corn,  with  vineyards  where  now 
ruined  terrace  walls  add  to  the  stoniness  of  the  hills.’’ 


EXPRESSION AL  SESSION 

SETTLING  A  QUARREL 
Luke  6 :29-33 

Suggestions  for  the  Leader’s  Opening  Address 

Abraham,  in  his  treatment  of  Lot,  set  before  us  an  ex¬ 
ample  of  a  good  way  in  which  to  settle  a  quarrel.  He  gave 
to  Lot  the  first  choice.  He  loved  him  better  than  he  loved 
himself.  “Jesus,  too-,  in  the  New  Testament,  shows  us  ways 
of  avoiding  quarrels.  “  Love  one  another,”  he  says.  “  If 
thy  brother  sins  against  thee,  forgive  him  seventy  times 
seven  times.”  The  best  way  to  avoid  quarrels  or  to  settle 
quarrels  is  to  love  others,  to  try  to  see  their  point  of  view, 
to  give  up  our  own  way,  and  not  to  be  stubborn.  Even 
when  others  are  wrong  and  we  are  right,  we  must  be  gen¬ 
erous  and  kind,  always  following  the  examples  given  to  us 
in  the  Bible. 


The  Class  Prayer 

O  Jesus,  thou  hast  told  us  to  love  one  another,  and  to  be 
kind  to  one  another.  Help  us  to  do  as  thou  wouldst  have 
us  to  do.  We  ask  in  thy  name.  Amen. 

Verses  for  Ltse  in  the  Meeting 
Psalm  133;  Proverbs  15:1;  Matthew  5:9;  ch.  6;  John 


84 


JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 


13:34,  35;  Romans  12:10;  I  Corinthians  13:4-8;  Ephesians 
5  :2  ;  Hebrews  13:1. 

Hymns  for  Use  in  the  Meeting 
Love  Is  Kind.” 

“  Dear  Lord,  Each  Selfish  Thought  We  Think.” 

“  Father,  Lead  Me  Day  by  Day.” 

Questions  for  Use  in  the  Meeting 

1.  How  did  Abraham  settle  the  quarrel  between  his 
herdsmen  and  those  of  Lot? 

2.  How  did  he  avoid  a  quarrel  with  Lot? 

3.  How  can  a  Junior  of  to-day  avoid  quarrels? 

4.  How  can  a  Junior  of  to-day  help  to  settle  quarrels? 

5.  What  did  Jesus  say  about  peacemakers? 

6.  What  is  the  Golden  Rule  ? 

7.  Can  you  avoid  quarrels  by  obeying  the  Golden  Rule? 

Topics  for  Discussion  or  Reports 

1.  Abraham  and  Lot. 

2.  The  Golden  Rule. 

3.  How  Abraham  Kept  the  Golden  Rule. 

4.  How  Juniors  Can  Keep  the  Golden  Rule. 

5.  “  Blessed  Are  the  Peacemakers.” 

6.  Giving  Others  the  First  Choice. 

To  Read  in  the  Meeting 

There  are  loyal  hearts,  there  are  spirits  brave, 

There  are  souls  that  are  pure  and  true; 

Then  give  to  the  world  the  best  you  have, 

And  the  best  will  come  back  to  you. 

Give  love,  and  love  to  your  life  will  flow, 

A  strength  in  your  utmost  need ; 

Have  faith,  and  a  score  of  hearts  will  show 
Their  faith  in  your  word  and  deed. 

— Madeline  S.  Bridges. 

The  “  Golden  Rule  ”  was  called  by  that  name  because  gold 
is  one  of  the  most  precious  things  in  the  world,  and  the 


JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 


85 


teachings  of  this  verse  are  one  of  the  most  precious  things 
in  the  world. 

There  is  a  “  Silver  Rule,”  which  says,  “If  good  is  done 
to  you,  do  good  in  return,”  and  an  “  Iron  Rule,”  which  says, 
“  If  evil  is  done  to  you,  do'  evil  in  return.”  Do  you  think 
that  anyone  should  keep  the  Silver  Rule  or  the  Iron  Rule? 

If  everyone  in  the  world  kept  the  Golden  Rule,  everyone 
in  the  world  would  put  others  first,  and  there  would  be  no 
more  quarrels,  no  more  wars. 


Juniors  in  school  can  keep  the  Golden  Rule  by  treating 
their  teachers  and  the  other  pupils  as  they  would  want  to  be 
treated  if  they  were  in  the  place  of  the  teacher  or  of  the 
other  pupils.  If  your  neighbor  cheats  in  arithmetic,  what 
would  you  want  “you”  to  do,  if  you  were  the  teacher? 
What  would  you  want  “  you  ”  to  do,  if  you  were  your 
neighbor  ? 


CHAPTER  IX 

WEEK  DAY  SESSION 

THE  BATTLE  OF  FOUR  KINGS  AGAINST  FIVE 

Genesis  14:1-12  > 

The  Memory  Verse 

“  There  is  no  restraint  to  Jehovah  to  save  by  many  or  by 
few.” — I  Samuel  14:6. 

The  Lesson  Story 

“  The  soldiers  of  the  enemy  are  coming !  'Hie  army  of  the 
four  kings  is  drawing  near !  ”  called  one  of  Lot’s  herdsmen 
as  he  rode  up  to  the  tent  door  one  morning.  “  Get  ready  to 
escape!  Flee  to  the  city  for  safety!  ” 

What  a  hurried  gathering  together  of  household  goods 
there  was !  Quickly  they  packed  up  all  their  possessions, 
and  loaded  the  tents  on  to  the  great  camels.  Quickly  they 
rode  into  the  city  of  Sodom,  for  Lot  and  his  family  and  his 
herdsmen  had  moved  their  tents  nearer  and  nearer  to  the 
great  city  until  now  they  lived  as  close  to  it  as  they  could, 
with  their  flocks  and  great  herds  of  sheep  and  cattle. 

The  city  of  Sodom  and  the  city  of  Gomorrah  near  by  were 
in  a  region  which  was  under  the  rule  of  five  kings.  But 
these  live  kings  themselves  were  only  vassal  kings ;  that  is, 
they  ruled  under  direction  from  four  great  kings  of  Asia. 
For  twelve  years  everything  had  gone  quietly.  Then  the 
five  kings  rebelled  against  the  four  kings.  Quickly  the  four 
kings  had  gathered  their  great  armies.  Across  the  country, 
over  the  desert,  they  marched,  southwest,  until  they  came 
to  the  place  called  “  the  vale  of  Siddirn  ” — a  place  which 
students  of  geography  and  history  cannot  find  now,  and 
which  they  think  has  been  hidden  under  the  waters  of  the 
Dead  Sea.  At  that  time  it  was  a  marshy  place,  low  and  full 


86 


JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 


87 


of  “  slime  pits  ”  which  proved  death  traps  to  any  soldiers 
who  were  caught  in  them. 

Here,  in  the  vale  of  Siddim,  a  great  battle  was  fought — 
four  kings  against  five.  But  the  five  kings  were  beaten. 
Their  men  were  lost  in  the  marshes.  Those  soldiers  that 
were  left  fled  to  the  mountains,  and  Sodom  and  Gomorrah 
were  unprotected  before  the  onrush  of  the  enemy. 

Quickly  the  army  of  the  four  kings  moved  forward. 
Quickly  the  soldiers  entered  Sodom  and  Gomorrah.  They 
carried  away  many  of  the  inhabitants  of  the  city,  and  their 
goods  and  possessions.  Among  those  whom  they  took  was 
Lot,  the  nephew  of  Abraham,  together  with  all  his  family 
and  his  goods.  How  sorry  Lot  must  have  felt  that  he  had 
gone  to  the  wicked  city  of  Sodom!  How  sorry  he  must  have 
felt  that  he  had  left  his  uncle  Abraham  !  He  had  chosen  to 
live  near  a  wicked  city,  and  he  was  suffering  the  result  of 
his  choice. 


Something  About  the  Nine  Kings 

1.  Am'  ra-phel,  King  of  Shi'  nar.  This  name  is  another 
name  for  Hammurabi,  one  of  the  great  kings  of  Babylonia, 
which  was  also  called  Shinar.  Those  men  who  have  ex¬ 
plored  the  ruins  found  in  Babylonia  and  Assyria  tell  us  that 
Hammurabi  was  one  of  the  greatest  kings  of  Babylonia. 
Read  in  Chapter  VII  some  things  about  his  times. 

2.  Ar'  i-och,  King  of  El-la'  sar.  We  do  not  know  any¬ 
thing  about  this  king.  Ellaser  was  a  place  in  or  near 
Babylonia. 

3.  Ched-or-la-o'  mer,  King  of  E'  lam,  was  head  of  the 
expedition.  Elam  was  a  country  bordering  on  the  Tigris 
River.  This  king  has  been  identified  as  an  overlord  of 
Babylon. 

4.  Ti'  dal,  King  of  Goi'  im.  About  this  king  we  know 
nothing.  These  four  kings  formed  an  alliance.  They  were 
kings  of  great  countries,  and  probably  had  great  armies. 

The  five  kings  were  not  so  powerful  as  the  four  kings 
were.  Their  names  were  as  follows : 

5.  Be  ra,  King  of  Sod'  om. 

6.  Bir'  sha,  King  of  Go-mor'rah. 

7.  Shi'  nab,  King  of  Ad'  mah. 


88  JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 

8.  Shem-e'  ber,  King  of  Ze-boi'  im. 

9.  The  king  of  Be'  la  (or  Zoar)  whose  name  is  not  given. 


Handwork 

In  connection  with  this  series  of  lessons,  make  a  model 
of  an  Oriental  city  on  the  sand  table.  Each  pupil  in  the 
Department  may  make  a  flat-roofed  house,  following  the 
model  given  on  page  85.  Group  these  houses  in  the  city, 
and  make  a  wall  around  it.  For  this  lesson  put  the  tents  of 
Lot's  encampment  just  outside  the  city  walls,  and  plan  the 
attack  on  the  city. 

Map  Work 

The  four  kings  moved  from  the  Euphrates  down  the  east 
side  of  the  Jordan  River,  as  far  as  the  Gulf  of  Akaba. 
Trace  their  journey  on  the  map.  From  there  they  marched 
back  to  the  vale  of  Siddim,  where  the  battle  of  the  lesson 
took  place. 


Notebook  Work 

Enter  the  names  of  the  nine  kings  in  your  notebooks. 

Memory  Work 

Learn  the  last  verses  of  the  Memory  Hymn: 

“  He  by  himself  hath  sworn, 

I  on  his  oath  depend ; 

I  shall,  on  eagle’s  wings  upborne, 

To  heaven  ascend: 

I  shall  behold  his  face, 

I  shall  his  power  adore, 

And  sing  the  wonders  of  his  grace 
For  evermore. 


“  The  whole  triumphant  host 
Give  thanks  to  God  on  high ; 

Hail,  Father,  Son,  and  Holy  Ghost! 
They  ever  cry : 

Hail,  Abraham’s  God  and  mine! 

I  join  the  heavenly  lays; 

All  might  and  majesty  are  thine, 
And  endless  praise.” 


89 


JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 

Expressionae  Activity 

If  there  is  anyone  in  your  class  or  in  your  school  who 
has  been  unkind  to  you  or  who  has  hurt  your  feelings,  try 
this  week  to  be  doubly  kind  to  him.  Sunday’s  lesson  will 
tell  you  how  you  will  be  following  Abraham’s  example,  if 
you  do  this. 


SUNDAY  SESSION 

ABRAHAM’S  RESCUE  OF  EOT 
Genesis  14:13-16 

The:  Memory  Verse 

“A  friend  loveth  at  all  times; 

And  a  brother  is  born  for  adversity.” — Proverbs  17  :17. 

The  Lesson  Story 

Abraham  was  sitting  comfortably  in  his  tent  door,  in  the 
shade  of  the  great  oak  trees  of  Mamre.  To  the  north  of 
him  a  great  battle  had  been  raging,  but  Abraham  and  his 
family  and  his  herdsmen  knew  nothing  about  what  had 
happened.  His  flocks  and  herds  were  grazing  in  the  flelds. 
There  was  plenty  of  pasture  for  all,  and  he  and  his  neigh¬ 
bors  lived  in  peace  and  plenty,  far  away  from  the  battle  in 
the  north. 

But  suddenly,  as  he  looked  across  the  peaceful  hillside, 
there  was  a  stir.  There  was  something  happening !  It 
seemed  that  his  men  were  hurrying  toward  the  great  tent 
where  he  was.  Yes,  a  stranger  was  coming.  His  men  were 
bringing  the  stranger,  and  they  all  seemed  very  much 
excited. 

“News!  News,  master!”  they  cried.  “Here  is  a 
stranger  who  tells  us  of  a  great  battle  !  ” 

“  Give  him  food,  Elieazer,  and  let  him  tell  his  story  in 
peace,”  said  the  master.  “  Let  him  eat  and  rest,  first,  and 
then  we  will  hear  his  news.”  (That  is  the  law  of  hospitality 
in  the  East.  Guests  must  be  given  food  and  made  com¬ 
fortable  first,  before  they  are  asked  for  information.) 


90 


JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 


But  this  man  did  not  want  to  wait. 

“  I  have  escaped  from  a  great  battle,”  he  said,  “  the  battle 
of  four  great  kings  against  five.  And  the  four  kings  from 
the  East  were  victors,  O  my  master,  and  they  have  de¬ 
stroyed  the  armies  of  the  kings  of  Sodom  and  Gomorrah. 
They  have  taken  captive  your  nephew  Lot  and  his  wife  and 
his  daughters  and  his  herdsmen,  and  all  his  possessions.” 

You  would  have  thought,  perhaps,  that  Abraham  would 
have  said :  “  Well,  it  serves  Lot  right.  He  should  have 
stayed  with  me.”  But  he  did  not.  Quickly  he  called  to¬ 
gether  his  friends,  and  they  gathered  all  their  men  trained 
for  war.  It  was  only  a  force  of  three  hundred  and  eighteen 
men — a  little  force  to  go  out  against  the  warriors  of  Baby¬ 
lonia  and  Assyria,  but  God  was  with  them.  They  followed 
the  victorious  army  on  and  on  until  they  came  almost  to 
Damascus.  And  there  Abraham  and  his  men,  with  God’s 
help,  managed  to  rescue  Lot  and  his  family  and  to  get  back 
all  the  spoil  which  had  been  taken  away.  God  helped  Abra¬ 
ham,  for  he  was  his  faithful  friend. 

Quickly  they  turned  south  again,  carrying  back  the  res¬ 
cued  people  to  their  homes,  and  you  can  imagine  what  re¬ 
joicing  there  must  have  been  everywhere  along  the  way. 
And  as  for  Lot,  you  would  have  thought  that  he  must  have 
been  doubly  grateful  to  his  uncle  Abraham  and  sorry  for  his 
sins.  Perhaps  he  was  a  better  man  after  that,  but  he  con¬ 
tinued  to  live  in  the  wicked  city  of  Sodom,  where  he  became 
one  of  the  leading  men.  He  did  not  learn  thoroughly  the 
lesson  of  avoiding  bad  company.  He  stayed  in  the  city  of 
the  wicked. 

Putting  the  Lesson  Into  the  Life  of  the  Class 

Lot’s  association  with  the  wicked  people  of  Sodom  led  him 
into  difficulties.  That  is  always  the  way.  “  Evil  compan¬ 
ionships  corrupt  good  morals,”  the  old  proverb  tells  us.  If 
you  play  with  bad  boys  and  girls,  you  yourself  are  apt  to 
become  a  bad  boy  or  a  bad  girl.  Sometimes,  even  when  you 
are  not  to  blame  for  something  unpleasant  that  happens, 
you  are  blamed  because  you  usually  are  with  the  group  who 
gets  into  mischief.  If  you  never  go  with  the  group,  no  one 
blames  you. 


JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 


91 


Abraham  was  kind  and  generous.  He  forgot  how  selfish 
Lot  had  been.  As  soon  as  he  heard  that  his  nephew  was  in 
trouble,  he  hurried  to  help  him.  Do  you  ever  say,  “  Nellie 
was  so  mean  yesterday  that  I  won’t  play  with  her  to-day,  or 
help  her  with  her  arithmetic  problem?”  If  you  are  about 
to  say  something  like  that,  just  think  of  how  Abraham 
treated  Lot. 

The  Bible  tells  us  that  it  does  not  matter  to  God  whether 
the  battle  is  fought  with  few  men  or  with  many.  “  There 
is  no  restraint  to  Jehovah  to  save  by  many  or  by  few.”  God 
gives  the  victory  to  those  who  are  striving  for  the  right. 
Don't  be  afraid  to  be  right  with  the  few.  Remember  the 
story  of  Noah  and  the  ark.  Abraham  was  brave.  He  knew 
that  his  force  was  little,  but  he  started  out  boldly  against 
the  great  armies  of  the  kings  of  the  north.  He  had  courage 
for  the  right. 


The  Lesson  Truth  in  Your  Liee 

Have  you  tried  this  week  to  be  generous  and  kind  to  some 
one  who  you  thought  had  been  unkind  to  you,  as  you  were 
asked  in  the  last  lesson?  That  is  one  way  in  which  you  can 
show  the  lesson  truth  in  your  life.  “  Be  ye  kind  one  to 
another.” 


Guy  the  Crusader 

A  long,  long  time  ago,  in  one  of  the  smiling  valleys  of 
France,  there  was  an  old  castle.  It  was  built  all  of  stone, 
and  its  threatening  appearance  stood  out  in  strong  contrast 
to  the  sunny  meadows  and  green  hillsides  which  lay  around 
it.  In  this  castle,  or  chateau,  as  the  French  call  it,  there 
lived  a  knight,  Sir  Hugh  Des  Fontaines,  with  his  wife  and 
their  little  son  Guy.  Guy  was  a  sturdy  little  fellow,  and 
from  his  earliest  years  was  fond  of  wandering  about  in 
search  of  adventures.  When  he  was  but  ten  years  old,  there 
was  not  a  precipice,  cave,  or  bowlder  in  all  the  country 
round  that  he  did  not  know  and  had  not  visited. 

When  Guy  was  twenty-five  years  old,  he  was  the  finest 
young  man  in  all  the  countryside.  He  was  tall  and  slender, 
and  so  graceful  in  all  his  movements  that  he  never  seemed 
to  be  obliged  to  make  an  effort.  He  had  long  yellow  hair, 


92 


JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 


that  flowed  down  over  his  shoulders.  That  seems  strange 
nowadays ;  but  at  that  time  all  the  young  men  wore  their 
hair  so,  and  if  they  had  seen  you  and  me  they  would  have 
thought  us  perfect  frights.  Guy  looked  very  grand,  I  can 
tell  you,  when  he  went  about  over  the  country  dressed  from 
head  to  foot  in  shining  armor,  and  mounted  upon  a  fine 
black  war  horse. 

Now,  at  this  time  there  was  a  great  excitement  through¬ 
out  France,  and  it  was  caused  by  the  preaching  of  Peter  the 
Hermit.  He  was  small  and  insignificant-looking,  but  some¬ 
how  his  preaching  set  everyone  crazy.  Lie  told  of  how  the 
pilgrims  who  traveled  to  Jerusalem  were  plundered,  beaten, 
yes,  and  sometimes  killed  outright,  by  the  Saracens  who  had 
possession  of  Palestine.  Then  he  told  how  it  was  the  duty 
of  every  good  Christian  to  save  the  Lloly  City,  the  place 
where  our  Saviour  had  lived,  out  of  the  hand  of  the  infidel. 
And  his  enthusiasm  would  take  such  hold  of  his  audience 
that  they  would  throw  up  their  caps  and  shout,  “  God  wills 
it !  ”  and  many  of  them  would  go  home  and  make  their 
preparations  to  go  on  the  long  journey  to  Palestine — the 
crusade,  as  it  was  called — and  leave  their  dear  wives  and 
children,  so  that  they  might  redeem  the  Holy  City. 

Now,  Guy  was  a  young  man,  and  easily  excited;  so,  when 
the  others  threw  up  their  caps,  Guy,  who  had  come  a  long 
way  to  hear  Peter,  threw  up  his  cap  too,  and  cried,  “  God 
wills  it !  ” 

When  he  reached  home  he  had  a  long  talk  with  his  father. 
Sir  Hugh  said  that  he  himself  was  too  old  now  to  go  off  on 
such  a  wild  expedition ;  but  it  would  please  him  very  much 
if  Guy  would  go,  to  keep  up  the  honor  of  the  family — ■ 
though  he  was  loath  tO'  part  with  his  son.  So  Guy  went. 
He  spent  a  week  in  preparations ;  then  he  bade  good-by  to 
his  father  and  mother,  and  started  forth  at  the  head  of  fif¬ 
teen  men  at  arms,  some  of  whom  had  been  his  playfellows 
in  the  days  of  the  wooden  shields.  They  rode  eastward  to 
join  Godfrey  of  Bouillon,  who  was  to  lead  the  Christians 
against  the  unbelievers. 

It  was  a  long  time  before  the  great  army  was  ready  to  set 
out ;  but  at  last  they  began  their  march,  with  trumpets  sound¬ 
ing  and  standards  flying.  For  the  first  few  days  it  was  a 
triumphal  journey;  then  it  began  to  grow  tedious  and  finally 


JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 


93 


wearisome.  Every  morning  Guy  had  to  raise  his  aching 
limbs  from  his  resting  place — generally  the  ground — mount 
his  great,  black  horse,  which  was  as  tired  as  he,  and  ride 
wearily  on.  There  was  a  great  deal  of  complaining ;  the 
food  was  bad,  the  weather  was  bad,  the  roads  were  bad;  but 
Guy  would  not  find  fault,  for  he  felt  that  they  were  going 
on  the  Lord’s  errand,  and  who  was  he.  to  complain  of  the 
weariness  of  the  journey  on  which  the  fiord  had  sent  him? 
And  when  he  thought  of  these  things,  his  heart  grew  lighter, 
and  his  tired  limbs  seemed  more  supple,  and  the  sky  brighter. 
Then  the  hearts  of  the  weary  crusaders  who  rode  near  him 
would  be  gladdened  when  they  saw  his  cheerful  bearing  and 
pleasant  smile. 

Finally  they  reached  Jerusalem.  As  the  great  host  came 
in  sight  of  the  Holy  City,  they  bowed  the  knee  in  silent 
adoration  of  their  Maker.  The  next  day  they  began  the 
attack.  Fierce  was  the  assault,  but  fiercer  still  the  defense. 
The  Saracens  fought  like  madmen,  and  by  night  they  re¬ 
paired  the  breaches  made  by  day.  So  the  hot  summer  days 
went  by, until  one  evening  Godfrey  heard  that  the  enemy  were 
soon  to  receive  reenforcements.  That  night  he  sent  word 
all  through  the  camp  that  a  final  attack  was  to  be  made  the 
next  morning,  and  that  on  the  morrow  they  must  conquer 
or  die.  All  evening  Guy’s  squire  sat  polishing  up  the  armor 
that  was  so  bright  when  they  left  home  and  which  had 
grown  so  tarnished  and  indented  now ;  and  then  he  and 
Guy  went  to  sleep. 

Next  morning  the  sun  rose  bright  and  clear,  and  was  re¬ 
flected  in  the  shining  armor  of  the  crusaders.  The  whole 
force  advanced  on  different  sides  to  storm  the  city.  Well 
might  the  Saracens  tremble  when  they  saw  the  Christians 
marching  against  them,  for  this  time  the  watchword  was, 
“  Conquer  or  die !  ”  Guy  rode  in  the  van.  He  was  a  vet¬ 
eran  warrior  now ;  but  to-day  he  felt  something  of  the  awful 
excitement  which  possessed  him  before  his  first  battle. 
This  day  was  to  decide  the  fate  of  the  Christian  army ;  and 
Guy,  with  the  rest,  made  up  his  mind  that  he  would  sleep 
in  Jerusalem,  or  that  the  stars  would  shine  down  that  night 
upon  his  dead  body  as  it  lay  stretched  upon  the  plain. 

At  a  point  about  a  furlong  from  the  city  all  the  riders  dis¬ 
mounted,  and  the  serried  mass  of  crusaders  under  Godfrey 


94 


JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 


marched  steadily  forward  on  foot  toward  a  great  breach  in 
the  wall.  There  was  the  main  point  of  attack,  and  the 
Saracens  were  there  in  force  to  keep  the  Christians  out.  On 
rushed  Godfrey  against  the  living  mass  of  the  enemy ;  on 
rushed  Guy,  whirling  his  great  sword  above  his  head.  There 
was  a  shock,  a  pause,  and  the  baffled  Christians  fell  back, 
only  to  charge  again  and  yet  again.  Higher  and  higher  rose 
the  sun.  The  heat  was  intolerable,  but  still  the  fighting  kept 
on — the  Christians  now  rushing  fiercely  upon  the  enemy, 
now  pressed  backwards  in  disorderly  retreat. 

All  at  once  there  was  silence  in  the  Christian  ranks. 
Everyone  was  quiet,  for  Godfrey  was  about  to  speak.  “  Sol¬ 
diers  of  the  cross !  ”  he  cried  in  a  voice  like  a  trumpet, 
“  shame  on  you  !  Will  you  leave  the  Holy  City  in  the  hands 
of  the  unbelievers?  No!  One  last  charge,  and  Jerusalem, 
the  city  of  our  Lord,  is  in  our  power !  ”  Then  turning  and 
brandishing  his  sword,  “  God  wills  it!  ”  he  cried,  and  rushed 
against  the  enemy.  “  God  wills  it !  ”  cried  Guy,  and,  leap¬ 
ing  up,  he  gripped  his  sword  and  started  in  pursuit.  After 
them  came  the  mighty  Christian  host  with  new  vigor  and  re¬ 
newed  strength. 

Godfrey  was  one  of  the  first  over  the  wall,  and  Guy  was 
close  upon  him.  Then  another  rushed  over,  and  then 
another,  and  more  and  more.  Look  to  yourselves,  brave 
Saracens,  or  you  have  lost  the  day  !  Ah  !  they  could  not 
withstand  that  onset.  Some  fled,  some  stood  for  a  moment, 
only  to  be  cut  down  by  their  pursuers.  The  wretched  crea¬ 
tures,  huddled  together  in  the  midst  of  the  city,  were  like 
lambs  given  up  to  the  slaughter.  Guy  did  not  like  such 
work ;  he  desisted. 

So  at  last  the  battle  was  won.  Godfrey  of  Bouillon  stood 
leaning  on  his  sword  with  his  chief  men  about  him,  taking 
counsel  for  what  should  happen  next. 

“  It  has  been  a  hard-fought  battle,”  said  old  Raymond  of 
Toulouse.  “  That  was  no  easy  victory.” 

“No,”  said  Godfrey;  “and  had  it  not  been  for  yonder 
young  man,”  pointing  to  Guy,  who  stood  near,  “  and  a  hand¬ 
ful  of  others  like  him,  we  should  not  be  here  now.  What 
say  you,  Des  Fontaines;  is  it  not  true?” 

“  It  was  not  I,  or  the  like  of  me,  that  decided  the  battle,” 
said  Guy,  gravely.  “  It  was  the  will  of  God.” 


JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 


95 


And  all  the  crusaders  standing  about,  young  and  old, 
bowed  their  heads,  and  said,  “  Amen !  ” 

— Selections  from  “  Guy  the  Crusader,”  by  Edward  Everett 


Hale. 


EXPRESSION AL  SESSION 

BEING  FAIR  TO  OTHERS 
Genesis  14:17-24 

Suggestions  for  the  Leader’s  Opening  Address 

Abraham  was  faithful  to  God,  and  he  was  faithful  also 
to  his  friends.  He  was  generous  in  his  treatment  of  Lot. 
He  was  generous  in  his  treatment  of  others. 

When  he  returned  home  after  the  rescue  of  Lot,  he 
brought  with  him  many  people  and  much  spoil  from  the 
enemy — the  possessions  which  they  first  had  carried  away 
from  the  people  of  Canaan.  The  king  of  Sodom  met  Abra¬ 
ham  and  another  king,  Melchizedek,  King  of  Salem.  Mel- 
chizedek  blessed  Abraham  in  the  name  of  the  true  God,  and 
Abraham  gave  to  him  one  tenth  of  all  that  had  been  won  in 
battle. 

Then  the  king  of  Sodom  came  to  Abraham.  He  sug¬ 
gested  that  he  send  the  people  back  to  their  homes,  but  keep 
all  the  trophies  of  war.  But  Abraham  had  not  fought  for 
booty.  He  had  fought  to  rescue  his  nephew.  He  would 
not  accept  for  himself  even  a  shoe  latchet,  except  the  food 
that  they  had  eaten.  He  asked  that  a  portion  be  given  to  his 
friends  and  neighbors  from  near  Hebron,  but  he  himself 
refused  any  share.  Again  he  showed  that  he  was  fair  and 
generous  to  others,  you  see.  and  unselfish  himself.  He 
set  an  example  before  us,  for  us  ail  to  follow.  He  was 
obedient;  he  was  faithful:  he  was  kind;  he  was  fair;  he  was 
generous.  Let  us  pray  that  we  may  be  like  him. 

The  Class  Prayer 

Our  Father  in  heaven,  we  want  to  be  like  Abraham, 
obedient  and  kind  and  generous.  Help  us  to  follow  the 


96 


JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 


example  that  he  has  set  before  us  in  all  these  ways.  We 
ask  in  Jesus’  name.  Amen. 

Verses  for  Use  in  the  Meeting 

Proverbs  4:18;  10:6,  7,  20;  20:7;  Matthew  5:44;  7:12; 
Luke  6:27,  28,  31;  Romans  8:31;  Ephesians  4:32;  Philip- 
pians  4:8;  I  Timothy  6:12. 

Hymns  for  Use  in  the  Meeting 

“  Can  I  See  Another’s  Woe?  ” 

“  Be  with  Us,  O  Father.” 

“  I  Live  for  Those  Who  Love  Me.” 

“  Love  Thyself  Last.” 

“  Rescue  the  Perishing.” 

Questions  for  Use  in  the  Meeting 

1.  In  what  ways  was  Abraham  fair  to  others? 

2.  In  what  ways  was  he  more  than  fair? 

3.  Who  was  Melchizedek  ?  Find  another  place  in  the 
Bible  where  Melchizedek  is  mentioned.  Hebrews  5:10; 
6:20;  7:1-6. 

4.  How  can  you  be  fair  and  generous  to  others  in  your 
school  life? 

5.  How  can  you  be  fair  and  generous  to  those  at  home? 

6.  Will  you  try  to  follow  Abraham’s  example  this  week? 

Topics  for  Discussion  or  Reports 

1.  The  Story  of  Abraham’s  Rescue  of  Lot. 

2.  Melchizedek. 

3.  Sharing  the  Spoils. 

4.  Playing  Fair  in  Our  Lives. 

5.  How  Juniors  May  Play  Fair. 

6.  Fighting  Others’  Battles. 

7.  How  We  Should  Treat  Those  Who  Have  Been  Un¬ 
kind. 


To  Read  in  the  Meeting 

Jesus  said  that  we  should  forgive  those  who  have  offended 
us  “  seventy  times  seven.”  This  does  not  mean  just  four 


JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS  97 

* 

hundred  and  ninety  times,  but  more  times  than  we  can 
number. 

King  Saul  sought  the  life  of  David  after  David  had  tried 
to  help  him  in  every  way.  And  yet  when  David  had  a 
chance  to  take  Saul’s  life,  he  spared  him  because  he  thought 
that  God’s  anointed  king  was  sacred.  David  was  forgiving 
and  obedient. 

When  Jesus  was  on  the  cross,  he  said  of  those  who  cruci¬ 
fied  him,  “Father,  forgive  them;  for  they  know  not  what 
they  do.”  He  was  the  greatest  Example  that  the  world  has 
ever  known  of  fairness  and  generosity  to  others. 


CHAPTER  X 
WEEK  DAY  SESSION 

HOSPITALITY  IN  BIBLE  LANDS 
Genesis  18:1-8 
The  Memory  Verse 

“  Be  tenderly  affectioned  one  to  another  .  .  .  given  to 
hospitality.” — Romans  12:10,  13. 

The  Lesson  Story 

Even  to-day  in  Eastern  lands  the  manners  and  customs 
of  the  people  are  very  much  like  those  of  hundreds  and  hun¬ 
dreds  of  years  ago.  So,  if  we  can  see  how  the  Arab  sheik 
of  to-day  lives,  we  can  tell  something  of  the  way  in  which 
Abraham  lived  so  many  centuries  ago. 

Imagine  the  group  of  great  black  tents  of  the  rich  chief¬ 
tain — the  tents  in  which  the  master  slept  and  ate,  and  those 
in  which  his  servants  and  tribesmen — hundreds  of  them — 
lived.  Read  the  lesson  passage.  Then  read  the  description 
of  a  visit  to  a  modern  Bedouin  chieftain,  or  sheik,  and  you 
can  picture  to  yourself  how  Abraham  lived.  It  is  a  life  of 
peace  and  comfort,  though  it  is  a  very  different  life  from 
what  we  know  in  America  to-day.  The  account  is  from 
“  Oriental  Social  Life,”  by  H.  Clay  Trumbull. 

“  As  our  party  neared  the  tents,  with  the  intention  of 
passing  to  the  north  of  them,  I  observed  a  Bedouin  woman 
with  a  bulky  cloth  bag,  or  sack,  upon  her  shoulders,  the  bag 
oozing  moisture  as  if  its  contents  were  liquid.  I  reined  up 
my  horse,  in  order  to  see  how  it  was  that  water  was  being 
carried  in  a  cloth  bag.  In  answer  to  my  question  I  was  told 
that  the  bag  contained  leben,  or  thickened  milk  [butter], 
which  is  a  staple  article  of  diet  among  the  pastoral  peoples 
of  the  East.  But  that  question  of  mine  had  put  me  into  a 
new  relation  with  the  Bedouin  there.  It  had  brought  our 


98 


JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 


99 


party  within  the  scope  of  the  tribe's  hospitality,  as  I  quickly 
had  occasion  to  realize. 

“  The  Bedouin  sheik  was  sitting  in  the  entrance  way  of  his 
tent,  as  Abraham  was  accustomed  to  sit  in  his  day.  And 
the  sheik’s  tent  was  designedly  nearest  the  traveled  way,  in 
order  that  he  could  be  on  the  watch  for  stranger  guests. 
Seeing  a  party  of  travelers  stop  in  the  vicinity  of  his  tribe, 
he  arose  from  his  place  and  came  forward,  with  all  the  dig¬ 
nity  of  bearing  and  courtliness  of  manner  of  the  true  Arab 
chieftain,  to  ask  them  to  honor  him  by  alighting  and  accept¬ 
ing  the  hospitality  of  his  tent.  To  have  declined  this  invita¬ 
tion  without  a  good  and  sufficient  reason  would  have  been  a 
positive  rudeness  on  our  part,  as  Orientals  view  it.  There¬ 
fore  we  dismounted,  and  were  conducted  to  Sheik  Mossa’s 
tent.” 

Then,  the  traveler  goes  on  to  say,  the  best  rugs  were 
spread  on  the  ground  just  inside  the  entrance  of  the  tent,  of 
which  the  rear  curtain,  or  flap,  was  raised  so  that  the  visitors 
might  have  all  the  fresh  air  possible.  The  sheik  called  his 
wife  who  was  just  behind  the  tent  flap  which  separated  the 
woman’s  part  of  the  tent  from  the  men’s  part.  Here  she 
could  hear  what  was  said  without  herself  being  seen.  The 
sheik  told  her  to  hasten  and  bake  a  cake  of  bread  for  the 
visitors,  as  Abraham,  hundreds  of  years  before,  bade  Sarah 
have  bread  prepared  for  the  three  guests  who  came  to  their 
tent. 

The  sheik  continued  his  hospitable  preparations.  He  pre¬ 
pared  coffee ;  he  gave  the  guests  curdled  milk,  or  “  butter,” 
as  the  Bible  calls  it.  The  first  cup  of  coffee  was  poured 
reverently  to  the  ground  as  an  offering  to  God.  Then,  while 
the  sheik  stood  by,  watching  to  see  that  everything  was  done 
in  order,  each  guest  received  two  cups  of  coffee. 

Meanwhile  the  sheik  had  asked  the  permission  of  the 
guests  to  slay  a  lamb  for  them,  to  be  eaten  with  the  bread 
that  his  wife  was  getting  ready,  but  this  would  have  taken 
too  much  time,  so  they  refused  his  invitation.  As  they  de¬ 
parted,  he  thanked  them  as  if  he  alone  had  been  honored 
bv  their  visit.  At  last,  kissing  and  pressing  his  forehead  to 
the  hands  of  his  guests,  he  let  the  travelers  go,  giving  them 
a  profound  salute  as  they  rode  away. 

So,  in  the  East  to-day  there  are  many  customs  of  hos- 


100 


JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 


pitality  much  like  those  of  Bible  times.  As  you  read  over 
your  lesson  passage,  compare  these  modern  customs  with 
those  given  there,  and  see  in  what  ways  Abraham  was  like 
the  old  sheik  described  by  the  modern  traveler  in  the  same 
part  of  the  world. 


Handwork 

Continue  the  work  begun  last  week  of  making  the  city  of 
Sodom  on  the  sand  table. 

\ 

Notebook  Work 

For  your  notebook,  trace  or  draw  free-hand  the  tent  given 
in  Chapter  VII.  See  if  you  can  find  in  a  magazine  a  picture 
of  a  tree  whose  size  is  in  proper  proportion  to  the  tent. 
Across  a  new  page  of  your  notebook,  draw  a  line  to  repre¬ 
sent  the  sky  line.  Color  the  lower  part  of  the  page  to 
represent  the  ground,  and  make  the  upper  part  dark,  like  the 
night  sky  filled  with  stars.  Paste  on  the  page  the  tree,  which 
will  represent  the  oak  tree  under  which  Abraham  had  his 
tent,  and  put  under  the  tree  the  tent  which  you  have  drawn. 
Make  this  poster  page  of  your  notebook  as  attractive  and 
interesting  as  possible. 


Map  Work 

Work  on  your  relief  map  of  Palestine. 

Expressionae  Activity 

Try  to  show  hospitality  this  week.  If  there  is  a  visitor  in 
your  home,  do  something  that  will  show  you  are  glad  to 
have  him  there. 


Memory  Work 

“  GUIDE  ME,  O  THOU  GREAT  JEHOVAH  ” 

Here  is  another  famous  hymn  to  learn.  It  was  written 
originally  in  Welsh  by  William  Williams.  In  1771  the  first 
verse  was  translated  into  English  by  Rev.  Peter  Williams, 
and  in  1772,  the  original  author  finished  the  translation  and 
added  a  fourth  verse.  Few  English  hymns  are  so  well 
known. 


JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 


101 


“  Guide  me,  O  thou  great  Jehovah, 
Pilgrim  through  this  barren  land ; 

I  am  weak,  but  thou  art  mighty, 

Hold  me  with  thy  powerful  hand. 
Bread  of  heaven, 

Feed  me  till  I  want  no  more. 

“  Open  now  the  crystal  fountain, 

Whence  the  healing  stream  doth  flow ; 
Let  the  fire  and  the  cloudy  pillar 
Lead  me  11  my  journey  through: 
Strong  Deliverer, 

Be  thou  still  my  Strength  and  Shield.” 


SUNDAY  SESSION 

ABRAHAM  ENTERTAINING  ANGELS 
Genesis  15:1,  2,  5;  18:9,  10 
The:  Memory  Verse 

“Forget  not  to  show  love  unto  strangers:  for  thereby 
some  have  entertained  angels  unawares. ” — Hebrews  13:2. 

The  Lesson  Story 

The  sun  was  blazing  bright  in  the  blue  Eastern  sky,  for 
it  was  the  hottest  part  of  the  day.  Again  Abraham  sat  in 
the  door  of  his  tent,  which  was  pitched  by  the  oaks  of 
Mamre,  near  Hebron.  As  he  sat  there  he  must  have  been 
thinking  of  God’s  words  to  him,  for  again  God  had  come  to 
him  and  again  had  repeated  to  him  that  wonderful  promise 
which  he  had  made  when  Abraham  set  out  from  Haran, 
Genesis  12:1-3,  and  when  he  had  first  settled  in  the  Prom¬ 
ised  Land,  Genesis  13:14-16.  This  time  God  had  said  to 
him:  “  Fear  not.  I  am  thy  shield.  Look  now  toward  heaven 
and  number  the  stars,  if  thou  art  able  to  number  them.  So 
shall  thy  children  be.” 

Abraham  was  sure  that  God  would  fulfill  his  promise, 
though  as  yet  he  and  Sarah  had  no  child.  He  trusted  in 
God’s  plans  for  him  and  for  his  family. 

As  he  sat  there  at  his  tent  door,  something  caused  him  to 
look  up.  And  there,  approaching  him,  were  three  men, 


102 


JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 


strangers  to  him.  As  was  the  custom  in  those  days,  he  hur¬ 
ried  to  meet  them.  He  bowed  low  to  the  earth,  and  invited 
them  in  to  rest  and  enjoy  his  hospitality — water,  to  wash 
their  feet,  shade  from  the  burning  sun  under  the  great  oak 
tree,  food  to  strengthen  them. 

As  the  three  men  accepted  the  invitation  Abraham  hur¬ 
ried  to  Sarah.  “  We  have  guests,”  he  said.  “  Make  ready 
three  measures  of  fine  meal,  knead  it,  and  make  cakes.” 

Then  he  quickly  took  one  of  the  best  calves  from  the  herd 
and  gave  it  to  a  servant  to  be  killed  and  prepared.  He  pro¬ 
vided  butter  and  milk,  too.  He  was  truly  a  generous  host 
and  was  making  generous  preparations  for  his  guests. 

Sarah  and  the  women  ground  the  grain  between  the  round 
stone  millstones  ;  mixed  the  bread  in  queer,  wooden  troughs 
and  made  thin  cakes  of  it.  The  servants  prepared  the  meat, 


which  was  a  delicacy  not  eaten  every  day.  In  the  meantime 
the  visitors  rested  in  the  cool  shade.  When  the  food  was 
ready,  the  guests  sat  in  a  circle  on  the  ground  under  the 
tree.  Abraham  placed  before  them  the  food  which  he  had 
provided — the  flat  cakes,  the  calf  roasted  and  served  whole, 
so  that  each  guest  could  tear  from  it  with  his  fingers  the 
piece  he  desired,  the  butter,  and  the  milk.  Abraham  him¬ 
self  did  not  eat  with  the  guests.  He  “  stood  by  ”  to  do  them 
honor,  and  to  see  that  each  received  what  he  wanted.  Sarah 
remained  in  the  tent,  for  no  woman  had  a  share  in  such  a 
feast. 

At  first  Abraham  thought  that  his  guests  were  men,  but 


JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 


103 


as  they  talked  he  found  that  God  was  talking  to  him  through 
these  messengers. 

“  Where  is  Sarah  thy  wife,  ”  one  of  them  asked  him,  and 
Abraham  answered,  “  in  the  tent.” 

Sarah,  listening,  must  have  listened  harder  when  she 
heard  her  own  name.  She  did  not  know  as  yet  that  the  men 
were  speaking  of  God.  When  she  heard  them  say,  “  Sarah 
thy  wife  shall  have  a  son,”  at  first  she  did  not  believe  them, 
and  laughed. 

But  this  was  just  one  more  way  in  which  God  repeated 
his  promise  to  Abraham,  his  friend,  who,  in  entertaining 
strangers,  had  entertained  the  messengers  of  the  God  whom 
he  loved  and  served.  The  time  was  drawing  closer  when 
God  was  going  to  fulfill  the  first  part  of  his  promise  that 
through  the  descendants  of  Abraham  all  the  people  of  the 
world  should  be  blessed. 

Putting  the  Lesson  Into  the  Life  of  the  Class 

Abraham  showed  true  hospitality  in  providing  for  his 
guests.  The  food  that  he  prepared  was  plentiful  and  of  the 
best  quality.  When  we  have  opportunity  to  be  hosts,  we, 
too,  should  give  our  best  to  our  guests.  If  a  friend  of  your 
own  age  comes  to  play  with  you,  give  him  the  choice  of 
what  games  are  to  be  played.  Give  him  the  first  choice 
of  your  playthings. 

If  the  friend  who  comes  to  visit  you  is  older  than  you  are, 
you  should  be  still  more  careful  to  be  generous  and  thought¬ 
ful.  Go  on  errands  for  an  older  guest.  Try  always  to  be 
polite  and  obedient  and  to  keep  quiet  if  mother  and  father 
are  having  a  good  visit  with  company.  Don’t  interrupt  a 
conversation  of  older  people.  Try  in  every  way  to  make 
the  guest  have  a  good  time,  and  then  you  will  be  following 
Abraham’s  example. 

Is  there  a  new  boy  in  your  class  at  school  ?  Of  course  he 
feels  strange.  Remember  the  Golden  Rule  and  try  to  make 
him  feel  at  home.  Put  yourself  in  his  place. 

The  Lesson  Truth  in  Your  Life 

God  wants  his  followers  always  to  be  kind  to  others.  One 
way  of  being  kind  is  to  be  hospitable  to  guests,  and  to  do 


104 


JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 


all  that  we  can  do  for  them.  Perhaps  we  may  not  be  enter¬ 
taining  angels,  as  Abraham  did,  but  we  should  remember 
the  words  of  Jesus,  “  Inasmuch  as  ye  did  it  unto  one  of 
these  ...  ye  did  it  unto  me.” 

How  the  Great  Guest  Came 

By  Edwin  Markham 

Before  the  cathedral  in  grandeur  rose, 

At  Ingelburg  where  the  Danube  goes ; 

Before  its  forest  of  silver  spires 
Went  airily  up  to  the  clouds  and  fires; 

Before  the  oak  had  ready  a  beam, 

While  yet  the  arch  was  stone  and  dream — 

There  where  the  altar  was  later  laid, 

Conrad  the  cobbler  plied  his  trade. 

Doubled  all  day  on  his  busy  bench, 

Hard  at  his  cobbling  for  master  and  bench, 

He  pounded  away  at  a  brisk  rat-tat, 

Shearing  and  shaping  with  pull  and  pat, 

Hide  well  hammered  and  pegs  sent  home, 

Till  the  shoe  was  tit  for  the  Prince  of  Rome. 

And  he  sang  as  the  threads  went  to  and  fro: 

“  Whether  ’tis  hidden  or  whether  it  show, 

Let  the  work  be  sound,  for  the  Lord  will  know.” 

Tall  was  the  cobbler,  and  gray  and  thin, 

And  a  full  moon  shone  where  the  hair  had  been. 

His  eyes  peered  out,  intent  and  afar, 

As  looking  beyond  the  things  that  are. 

He  walked  as  one  who  is  done  with  fear, 

Knowing  at  last  that  God  is  near. 

Only  half  of  him  cobbled  the  shoes: 

The  rest  was  away  for  the  heavenly  news. 

Indeed,  so  thin  was  the  mystic  screen 
That  parted  the  unseen  from  the  seen, 

You  could  not  tell  from  the  cobbler’s  theme 
If  his  dream  were  truth  or  his  truth  were  dream. 

It  happened  one  day  at  the  year’s  white  end, 

Two  neighbors  called  on  their  old-time  friend; 

And  they  found  the  shop,  so  meager  and  mean, 

Made  gay  with  a  hundred  boughs  of  green. 

Conrad  was  stitching  with  face  ashine, 

But  suddenly  stopped  as  he  twitched  a  twine : 

“  Old  friends,  good  news !  At  dawn  to-day, 

As  the  cocks  were  scaring  the  night  away, 

The  Lord  appeared  in  a  dream  to  me, 

And  said,  ‘  I  am  coming  your  Guest  to  be !  ’ 


JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 


105 


So  I’ve  been  busy  with  feet  astir, 

Strewing  the  floor  with  branches  of  fir. 

The  wall  is  washed  and  the  shelf  is  shined, 

And  over  the  rafter  the  holly  is  twined. 

He  comes  to-day,  and  the  table  is  spread 
With  milk  and  honey  and  wheaten  bread.” 

His  friends  went  home;  and  his  face  grew  still 
As  he  watched  for  the  shadow  across  the  sill. 

He  lived  all  the  moments  o'er  and  o’er, 

When  the  Lord  should  enter  the  lowly  door — 

The  knock,  the  call,  the  latch  pulled  up, 

The  lighted  face,  the  offered  cup. 

He  would  wash  the  feet  where  the  spikes  had  been; 

He  would  kiss  the  hands  where  the  nails  went  in ; 

And  then  at  last  would  sit  with  him 
And  break  the  bread  as  the  day  grew  dim. 

While  the  cobbler  mused,  there  passed  his  pane 
A  beggar  drenched  by  the  driving  rain. 

He  called  him  in  from  the  stony  street 
And  gave  him  shoes  for  his  bruised  feet. 

The  beggar  went  and  there  came  a  crone, 

Her  face  with  wrinkles  of  sorrow  sown. 

A  bundle  of  fagots  bowed  her  back, 

And  she  was  spent  with  wrench  and  rack. 

He  gave  her  his  loaf  and  steadied  her  load 
As  she  took  her  way  on  the  weary  road. 

Then  to  his  door  came  a  little  child, 

Lost  and  afraid  in  the  world  so  wild, 

In  the  big,  dark  world.  Catching  it  up, 

He  gave  it  milk  in  the  waiting  cup, 

And  led  it  home  to  its  mother's  arms, 

Out  of  the  reach  of  the  world’s  alarms. 

The  day  went  down  in  the  crimson  west, 

And  with  it  the  hope  of  the  blessed  Guest, 

And  Conrad  sighed  as  the  world  turned  gray; 

“Why  is  it,  Lord,  that  your  feet  delay? 

Did  you  forget  that  this  was  the  day?” 

Then  soft  in  the  silence  a  voice  he  heard  : 

“  Lift  up  your  heart,  for  I  kept  my  word. 

Three  times  I  came  to  your  friendly  door ; 

Three  times  my  shadow  was  on  your  floor 
I  was  the  beggar  with  bruised  feet; 

I  was  the  woman  you  gave  to  eat ; 

I  was  the  child  in  the  homeless  street !  ” 

— From  volume,  “  The  Shoes  of  Happiness  and  Other  Poems,”  by  Edwin 
Markham.  Copyright  by  Edwin  Markham  and  used  by  permission. 


106 


JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 

EXPRESSIONAL  SESSION 

HOW  JUNIORS  CAN  BE  HOSPITABLE 

I  Peter  4 :8- 10 

Suggestions  for  the  Leader's  Opening  Address 

Abraham  has  given  us  very  many  examples  which  it 
would  be  well  for  us  to  follow.  He  has  shown  that  he  was 
kind  and  generous  and  obedient  and  faithful — a  worthy 
friend  of  God.  In  our  lesson  for  this  week,  he  has  set  be¬ 
fore  us  an  example  of  hospitality.  He  did  not  at  first  recog¬ 
nize  that  the  three  men  who  came  to  his  tent  were  messen¬ 
gers  from  God.  And  yet  he  treated  them  with  the  greatest 
generosity.  He  set  before  them  the  best  food  and  drink 
that  he  could  provide.  He  showed  himself  in  every  way  a 
polite  and  generous  man. 

We  Juniors,  too,  should  be  polite  to  guests  who'  come  to 
our  homes,  and  to  strangers  who  are  really  guests  in  our 
land.  We  should  do  our  very  best  to  make  those  who  feel 
strange  with  us  to  feel  at  home  and  comfortable,  sharing 
with  them  the  best  that  we  have  of  everything. 

The  Class  Prayer 

Our  Father  in  heaven,  help  us  to  be  kind  to  strangers  and 
polite  to  those  who  come  as  guests  into  our  homes.  Help 
us  to  be  generous  in  giving  them  the  best  that  we  have. 
Help  us  to  make  them  feel  at  home  in  our  homes.  Espe¬ 
cially  we  ask  thee  to  help  us  to  be  kind  to  any  foreign  chil¬ 
dren  or  strangers  in  our  school  or  in  our  neighborhood. 
Enable  us  to  remember  the  words  of  Jesus,  “  Inasmuch  as 
ye  did  it  unto  one  of  these  ...  ye  did  it  unto  me.”  Amen. 

Verses  for  Use  in  the  Meeting 

Matthew  7:12;  25:34-40;  Luke  14:12-14;  I  Corinthians 
13:4;  Ephesians  2:19;  \ 

Hymns  for  Use  in  the  Meeting 

“  Be  Ye  Kind.” 

“  O  Jesus,  Thou  Art  Standing.” 


JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 


107 


“  Have  You  Had  a  Kindness  Shown.” 

“  Somebody  Did  a  Kind  Deed.” 

Questions  for  Use  in  the  Meeting 

1.  Who  wrote  the  verses  given  at  the  beginning  of  the 
lesson  ? 

2.  How  long  did  he  live  after  Abraham  lived? 

3.  In  what  ways  did  Abraham,  who  lived  so  many  hun¬ 
dreds  of  years  before,  show  that  he  was  like  Peter’s  idea  of 
what  a  Christian  should  be? 

4.  How  may  you  be  like  Abraham  at  home? 

5.  How  may  you  be  like  Abraham  in  school? 

6.  Have  you  done  anything  this  week  that  shows  that 
you  are  trying  to  follow  Abraham’s  example? 

Topics  for  Discussion  or  Reports 

1.  Peter’s  Advice  to  the  Followers  of  Christ. 

2.  Entertaining  Jesus.  Luke  10:38,  39. 

3.  How  Juniors  Can  Follow  Abraham’s  Example  in  Be¬ 
ing  Hospitable. 

4.  The  Stranger  in  Your  Schoolroom. 

5.  The  Visitor  in  Your  Home. 

6.  Our  Best  for  Our  Guests. 

7.  Hawthorne's  “  Miraculous  Pitcher.” 

To  Read  in  the  Meeting 

Perhaps  those  whom  we  entertain  will  not  prove  to  be 
angels,  as  were  the  three  men  whom  Abraham  entertained, 
but  if  we  treat  them  kindly  and  politely,  we  shall  find  that 
the  knowledge  that  God  approves  of  our  action  will  be  re¬ 
ward  enough. 

There  may  be  a  girl  in  your  class  in  school  who  can 
hardly  talk  English.  She  is  left  out  of  your  games  and 
plays,  and  must  be  lonely.  If  you  ask  her  to  join  in  the 
game,  she  will  probably  be  very  glad,  and  you  will  find,  on 
your  part,  that  you  enjoy  having  her.  Try  it  and  see. 

If  Walter  comes  to  play  with  you  some  afternoon,  do  you 
play  the  games  that  he  likes,  or  the  games  that  you  like? 
If  you  are  trying  to  follow  the  example  of  Abraham,  and 
being  truly  hospitable,  you  will  play  the  games  that  your 


108 


JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 


guest  likes  best,  and  let  him  play  with  your  favorite  toys, 
if  he  wants  to  do  so. 

Do  not  think  that  Therese,  or  Pietro,  or  Paquita,  or  Ah 
Sid  is  not  so  good  as  we  are  because  he  cannot  understand 
our  language.  When  you  find  out  what  these  strangers  are 
really  like,  you  may  find  that  they  are  really  fine  friends  for 
you,  as  Abraham  found  that  the  strangers  who  came  to  his 
tent  were  fine  friends  for  him. 


CHAPTER  XI 

WEEK  DAY  SESSION 

THE  DOOM  OF  SODOM  AND  GOMORRAH 

Genesis  18:17-33 
The  Memory  Verse 

“  Blessed  is  the  man  that  walketh  not  in  the  counsel  of  the 
wicked, 

Nor  standeth  in  the  way  of  sinners.” 

— Psalm  1:1. 


The  Lesson  Story 

The  three  strangers  who  had  been  Abraham’s  guests  fin¬ 
ished  their  meal.  They  rose  from  their  places  under  the 
shady  oak  tree,  and  turned  toward  Sodom.  Abraham,  as 
the  custom  was,  started  with  them  on  their  way. 

God  was  pleased  with  his  servant.  He  planned  once  more 
to  make  Abraham  the  father  of  a  great  and  mighty  nation. 
He  planned  to  tell  Abraham  what  he  was  about  to  do. 

“  Sodom  and  Gomorrah  are  very  wicked  cities,”  he  said, 
“  and  they  must  be  destroyed.” 

Abraham  was  sad.  “Wilt  thou  destroy  all  the  people?” 
he  asked.  “  Wilt  thou  destroy  the  righteous  as  well  as  the 
wicked?  Perhaps  there  may  be  fifty  good  men  in  the  city. 
Wilt  thou  not  spare  the  place  if  there  are  fifty  righteous 
people  in  it  ?  ” 

And  God  said,  “  If  I  find  in  the  city  of  Sodom,  fifty  right¬ 
eous  men,  I  will  spare  all  the  place  for  their  sake.” 

“  But  perhaps  there  will  be  only  forty-five  good  people,” 
said  Abraham.  “  Wilt  thou  destroy  it  because  of  a  lack  of 
five  ?  ” 

“  I  will  spare  the  city  if  there  are  forty-five  good  men  in 
it,”  God  promised. 

So  God  and  Abraham  talked  until  God  had  promised  his 


109 


no 


JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 


faithful  servant  to  spare  the  city  if  there  were  ten  men  and 
women  in  it  who  were  righteous.  Then  Abraham  returned 
home,  still  more  sure  than  ever  that  he  was  God’s  friend. 

In  the  meantime  the  angels  had  gone  on  to  Sodom ;  they 
reached  the  city  in  the  evening.  Lot  was  sitting  in  the  gate, 
which  in  those  days  was  the  place  in  which  the  important 
men  of  the  city  took  counsel  together  and  gave  judgments 
and  decisions.  Lot,  you  see,  had  become  one  of  the  leading 
men  of  Sodom. 

When  Lot  saw  the  strangers  approaching,  he,  too,  carried 
out  the  laws  of  hospitality  as  they  were  known  in  those  days. 
He  bowed  down  before  them,  and  invited  them  to  his  house 
for  the  night,  offering  them  water  with  which  to  wash  their 
feet.  At  first  they  refused  his  invitation,  but  they  finally  ac¬ 
cepted,  and  he  made  a  feast  for  them,  as  his  uncle  Abra¬ 
ham  had  done  earlier  in  the  day. 

The  men  accepted  Lot’s  hospitality,  and  then  because  Lot 
was  a  believer  in  the  true  God,  and  in  every  way  a  better 
man  than  others  in  Sodom,  they  gave  him  a  warning. 

“  Up,  and  get  you  out  of  this  place,”  they  said,  “  for 
Jehovah  will  destroy  this  city.  Look  not  behind  you,  but 
escape  to  the  mountain.” 

So  Lot  and  his  wife  and  his  two  daughters  went  out  from 
the  city.  And  at  sunrise,  “  Jehovah  rained  upon  Sodom  and 
Gomorrah  brimstone  and  fire  from  Jehovah  out  of  heaven; 
and  he  overthrew  those  cities,  and  all  the  Plain,  and  all  the 
inhabitants  of  the  cities.”  God  had  not  found  even  ten 
righteous  men  in  Sodom  for  whose  sake  he  could  spare 
the  city. 

Lot  and  his  wife  and  his  two  daughters  fled  toward  a  safe 
place.  But  Lot’s  wife  turned  and  looked  back  toward  the 
city  where  she  had  lived  for  many  years.  And  as  she 
looked,  she  was  turned  into  a  pillar  of  salt.  God,  through 
his  messengers,  had  commanded  them  not  to  look  back. 
She  had  disobeyed  and  because  of  her  disobedience,  she  was 
punished. 

And  when  Abraham  rose  in  the  morning  and  looked 
toward  the  plain,  “  Lo,  the  smoke  of  the  land  went  up  as  the 
smoke  of  a  furnace.”  The  cities  of  the  plain  had  disap¬ 
peared.  And  even  to-day  there  is  no  trace  of  those  cities 
left,  which  travelers  can  find.  The  salt  waters  of  the  Dead 


JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 


111 


Sea,  it  is  thought,  cover  the  place  where  once  lay  the  five 
great  cities  which  were  destroyed  for  their  wickedness. 

Handwork 

Complete  your  sand-table  representations  of  the  cities  of 
Sodom  and  Gomorrah. 

Notebook  Work 

Enter  the  story  of  the  destruction  of  the  cities  of  the 
plain,  in  your  notebook. 


Map  Work 

Draw  on  the  blackboard  a  map  of  Palestine,  without  put¬ 
ting  in  the  Dead  Sea.  Instead,  put  dots  to  represent  the 
cities  of  the  plain.  Then  erase  the  cities,  and  draw  the  out¬ 
line  of  the  Dead  Sea,  to  show  that  people  think  that  this 
sea,  as  it  is  nowadays,  covers  the  plain  where  the  great  cities 
once  were. 


Expressionar  Activity 

Try  during  the  week  to  be  especially  obedient  to  those 
through  whom  God  sends  his  messages  to  you — your  parents 
and  teachers ;  and  try,  too,  to  find  other  messages  to  you,  by 
reading  your  Bible. 

Memory  Work 

Learn  the  remaining  verses  of  the  Memory  Hymn, 
“  Guide  Ale,  O  Thou  Great  Jehovah.” 

“When  I  tread  the  verge  of  Jordan, 

Bid  my  anxious  fears  subside; 

Death  of  deaths  and  hell’s  destruction, 

Land  me  safe  on  Canaan’s  side  : 

Songs  of  praises 

I  will  ever  give  to  thee.” 

The  Dead  Sea  and  the  Cities  of  the  Plain 

What  had  been  the  fertile  vale  of  Siddim  was  covered,  in 
the  time  that  this  story  was  written,  by  the  Salt  (Dead) 
Sea.  It  is  a  disputed  question  whether  the  vale  of  Siddim 
in  which  were  the  “  cities  of  the  plain  ”  was  situated  at  its 


112 


JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 


north  or  south  end.  “  For  the  north  end,  it  is  argued  that 
Abraham  and  Lot  looked  upon  the  cities  from  near  Bethel, 
whence  it  would  be  impossible  to  see  the  south  end  of  the 
Dead  Sea;  that  the  name  ‘Circle  (or  plain)  of  Jordan’  is 
inapplicable  to  the  south  end ;  and  that  the  presence  of  five 
cities  there  is  impossible.  On  the  other  hand,  at  the  south 
end  of  the  Dead  Sea  there  lay,  through  Roman  and 
medieval  times,  a  city  called  Zoara  by  the  Greeks  and 
Zughar  by  the  Arabs,  which  was  identified  by  all  as  the 
Zoar  of  Lot.  Jebel  Usdum,  at  the  southeast  end,  is  the  un¬ 
contested  representative  of  Sodom.  The  name  Kikkar 
(“circle”)  may  surely  have  been  extended  to  the  south  of 
the  Dead  Sea;  just  as  to-day  the  Ghor  (lower  Jordan  val¬ 
ley)  is  continued  a  few  miles  to  the  south  of  Jebel  Usdum. 
Jewish  and  Arab  traditions  fix  on  the  south  end;  and  finally 
the  material  conditions  are  more' suitable  there  than  on  the 
north  end  to  the  description  of  the  region  both  before  and 
after  the  catastrophe,  for  there  is  still  sufficient  water  and 
verdure  on  the  east  side  of  the  Ghor  to  suggest  the  garden 
of  the  Lord,  while  the  shallow  bay  and  long  marsh  at  the 
south  end  may,  better  than  the  ground  at  the  north  end  of 
the  sea,  hide  the  secret  of  the  overwhelmed  cities.”  (G.  A. 
Smith).  The  Dead  Sea,  which  is  about  forty-six  miles  long 
by  nine  miles  wide,  is  now  nearly  divided  in  two  parts 
toward  the  south  end  by  a  tongue  of  land  jutting  from  the 
east  shore.  This  tongue  probably  once  joined  the  opposite 
shore,  and  formed  the  south  limit  of  the  Sea.  But  it  is  con¬ 
jectured  that,  by  the  action  of  an  earthquake,  a  subsidence 
took  place,  and,  as  Professor  Smith  hints,  what  had  been  the 
fertile  vale  of  Siddim  became  a  desolate  lagoon.  The  salt¬ 
ness  of  the  water  (twenty-six  per  cent  as  compared  with  the 
four  per  cent  of  the  ocean)  is  due  to  the  presence  of  a 
mountain  of  rock  salt  (Jebel  Usdum)  at  the  south  end  of 
the  sea. '  Fish  cannot  live  in  it,  not  so  much  owing  to  its 
saltness,  as  to  the  excess  of  bromide  of  magnesium ;  and  the 
extreme  buoyancy  of  its  waters  is  well  known.  The  position 
of  this  salt  mountain,  and  the  occurrence  of  bitumen  pits  at 
the  south  end  supports  the  theory  of  the  position  of  the 
cities  just  mentioned.  The  name  “  the  Dead  Sea  ”  occurs 
nowhere  in  the  Bible,  and  has  not  been  found  earlier  than 
the  second  century  a.  d. 


JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 


113 


SUNDAY  SESSION 

THE  BIRTH  OF  ISAAC 
Genesis  21  : 1-8 
The:  Memory  Verse; 

“  Thou  shall  call  his  name  Isaac :  and  I  will  establish  my 
covenant  with  him.” — Genesis  17  :19b. 

The  Lesson  Story 

To  parents  in  the  East  the  birth  of  a  son  is  an  event  which 
is  always  accompanied  with  great  rejoicing.  In  a  book 
called  “  When  I  Was  a  Boy  in  Palestine,”  the  writer  says : 
“  It  is  not  so  very  long  since  I  was  a  boy  in  Palestine.  My 
birth  was  welcome  news  to  my  father,  and  the  woman  who 
told  it  received  as  a  reward  a  large  silver  coin.  In  most 
Oriental  countries  a  boy  is  always  prized  more  than  a  girl. 
The  natural  division  of  the  people  into  classes  causes  this 
desire  for  boy  children.  Boys  grow  into  men  who  strengthen 
the  tribe.  After  hearing  the  news  of  my  birth,  my  father 
had  to  furnish  refreshments  for  all  who  were  present.  The 
men  guests  were  served  the  usual  coffee,  while  women  and 
children  were  given  candy  and  cucumbers,  the  latter  being 
in  season  at  the  time.” 

In  Abraham’s  time  as  nowadays  there  was  great  rejoicing 
at  the  birth  of  an  heir,  and  when  at  last  the  day  came  when 
the  first  part  of  God’s  promise  to  Abraham  was  fulfilled, 
and  a  son  was  born  to  him  and  Sarah,  there  was  great  joy 
in  the  tents.  There  were  great  feasts  among  the  herdsmen 
and  shepherds  and  servants.  Everyone  rejoiced  with  Abra¬ 
ham  and  Sarah  that  a  young  chief  had  been  born.  The 
child  was  named  “  Isaac,”  as  God  had  commanded,  but  the 
name,  which  means  “  laughter  ”  was  well  suited,  for  his 
birth  caused  much  joy  among  many  people. 

Do  you  remember  how  long  it  had  been  since  God  first 
made  the  promise  to  Abraham  that  through  his  descendants 
all  the  nations  of  the  earth  should  be  blessed  ?  He  was 
seventy-five  years  old  when  he  set  out  from  Haran,  where 
God  had  said  to  him  plainly,  “  I  will  make  of  thee  a  great 
nation,  and  I  will  bless  thee,  .  .  .  and  in  thee  shall  all  the 


114 


JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 


families  of  the  earth  be  blessed,”  Genesis  12:2,  3.  Now 
he  was  a  hundred  years  old.  Genesis  21  :5.  So  you  see  that 
twenty-five  years  had  passed  since  the  promise  was  first 
made.  It  must  sometimes  have  seemed  to  Abraham  that 
God  had  forgotten  him;  but  God  never  forgets,  and  at  last 
his  words  were  carried  out.  And  they  are  still  being  car¬ 
ried  out,  for  even  to-day  we  are  helping  to  carry  out  the 
promise,  which  meant  that  through  Jesus,  our  Saviour,  all 
the  people  of  the  world  should  be  saved  from  sin,  and  be¬ 
come  followers  of  the  true  God. 

Putting  the;  Lesson  Into  teie  Life  of  the  Class 

The  fulfillment  of  God’s  promise  to  Abraham  began  with 
the  birth  of  Isaac.  The  greatest  step  in  the  fulfillment 
was  the  coming  of  Jesus  Christ  to  the  world.  The  fulfill¬ 
ment  of  the  promise  now  rests  with  God’s  people  in  the 
world,  who  are  carrying  out  Jesus’  last  command,  “  Go  ye 
into  all  the  world,  and  preach  the  gospel  to  the  whole 
creation.” 

We  can  help  in  carrying  out  God’s  promise  by  support¬ 
ing  the  work  of  missionaries.  We  can  help  this  work  with 
our  offerings,  with  our  prayers,  with  our  interest. 

Abraham  had  faith  that  God’s  promise  would  be  carried 
out.  We,  too,  should  have  faith  though  the  answer  to  our 
prayers  seems  a  long  time  in  coming. 

The  Lesson  Truth  in  Your  Life 

God’s  promises  are  always  fulfilled.  If  we  learn  from 
faithful  Abraham  the  lesson  of  faith,  we  shall  “  trust  and 
obey.” 

Bible  Stories  of  Other  Babies  Weiose  Coming  Brought 

Joy  to  the  World 

Samuel.  I  Samuel,  chapter  1. 

John  the  Baptist.  Zacharias  and  Elisabeth,  the  father 
and  mother  of  John  the  Baptist,  were  old  people,  as  Abra¬ 
ham  and  Sarah  were.  To  them,  too,  the  birth  of  a  son  was 
foretold  by  an  angel,  and  he,  too,  was  given  his  name, 
“John,”  by  God’s  command.  Read  of  the  rejoicing  at  his 


JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 


115 


birth  in  Luke  1  :58-66.  He  was  called  John  because  the 
angel  said,  “  Thou  shalt  call  his  name  John.’’ 

JESUS,  the  Saviour.  The  name  of  Jesus  was  given  to 
him  by  God  when  the  angel  said  to  Joseph,  “  Thou  shalt 
call  his  name  Jesus;  for  it  is  he  that  shall  save  his  people 
from  their  sins.”  At  his  birth  there  was  rejoicing  in  heaven, 
and  the  angels  sang  of  his  coming,  to  save  the  people  of  the 
world  from  their  sins  ;  to  fulfill  the  promise  given  to  Abra¬ 
ham,  through  whom  all  the  nations  of  the  world  were  to  be 
blessed. 


EXPRESSIONAL  SESSION 

PRAYING  FOR  OURSELVES  AND  FOR  OTHERS 

Jonah,  chapter  3 

Suggestions  for  the  Leader’s  Opening  Address 

When  Abraham  pleaded  with  God  to  spare  the  city  of 
Sodom  if  there  were  ten  righteous  people  in  it,  God  granted 
his  prayer.  God  is  always  ready  to  listen  to  those  who 
pray  for  others.  He  was  ready  and  willing  to  spare  the 
city  of  Sodom  even  at  the  last,  just  as  he  spared  the  wicked 
city  of  Nineveh  when  the  king  and  the  people  listened  to 
the  warnings  of  Jonah  and  were  sorry  for  their  sins.  God 
is  always  the  same.  But  he  wants  us  to  be  sorry  when  we 
have  done  wrong,  and  to  try  to  do  better  the  next  time. 
W  e  who  live  to-day  have  One  who  pleads  for  us  even  better 
than  Abraham  pleaded  for  the  people  of  Sodom — Jesus 
Christ,  who  came  into  the  world  to  die  for  sinners,  and  so  to 
save  us  from  our  sins. 

The  Class  Prayer 

We  thank  thee,  our  Father  in  heaven,  for  the  life  and  the 
death  of  our  Saviour  Jesus  Christ,  who  has  given  himself 
for  us,  and  who,  on  the  night  on  which  he  was  betrayed, 
prayed  not  only  for  his  followers  during  his  own  lifetime, 
but  for  all  those  that  believed  on  him  through  their  word. 
We  pray  that  all  the  world  may  soon  come  to  know  of  him 
and  of  thee,  through  the  teachings  of  those  who  follow  in 
his  steps.  We  ask  in  Jesus’  name.  Amen. 


116 


JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 

Verses  for  Use  in  the  Meeting 

I  Samuel  1:17;  I  Kings  8:28;  II  Kings  19:15-20;  Psalm 
4  :1  ;  6 :9  ;  John  17 :24-26 ;  James  5  :16. 

Hymns  for  Use  in  the  Meeting 

“  Prayer  Is  the  Soul’s  Sincere  Desire.” 

“  Jesus,  Gentle  Saviour.” 

“  Jesus,  Meek  and  Gentle.” 

“Jesus,  Friend  of  Little  Children.” 

“  Lord,  Teach  a  Little  Child  to  Pray.” 

“Jesus,  from  Thy  Throne  on  High.” 

Questions  for  Use  in  the  Meeting 

1.  How  has  God  shown  us  that  he  wants  us  to  pray  for 
ethers  ? 

2.  Does  he  want  us  to  pray  for  ourselves,  too? 

3.  What  should  we  ask  for  in  our  prayers? 

4.  What  are  the  parts  of  a  true  prayer? 

5.  Is  prayer  that  is  pleasing  to  God  ever  only  asking  for 
something  ? 


Topics  for  Discussion  or  Reports 

1.  The  Prayer  Which  Jesus  Taught  Us.  Matthew 
6:9-14. 

2.  The  Pharisee  and  the  Publican.  Luke  18:10-14. 

3.  The  Prayer  Which  God  Hears. 

4.  The  Parts  of  a  True  Prayer. 

5.  Praying  for  Our  Own  Needs. 

6.  Praying  for  Others. 

7.  Prayer  and  Praise. 

What  Others  Have  Said  About  Prayer 

“  Pray  without  ceasing.” 

“  Prayer  is  the  soul’s  sincere  desire.” 

“  A  generous  prayer  is  never  presented  in  vain.” 

“  More  things  are  wrought  by  prayer 
Than  this  world  dreams  of.” 


JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 


117 


“  He  prayeth  best  who  loveth  best, 
All  things  both  great  and  small ; 
For  the  dear  God  who  loveth  us, 
He  made  and  loveth  all.” 


CHAPTER  XII 

WEEK  DAY  SESSION 

ABRAHAM  WILLING  TO  OFFER  ISAAC 

Genesis  22 : 1-14 

The  Memory  Verse 

“  Show  ne  thy  ways,  O  Jehovah; 

Teach  me  thy  paths.” — Psalm  25  :4. 

The  Lesson  Story 

The  years  passed  rapidly,  and  Isaac,  the  young  chief  of 
Abraham’s  line,  grew  from  a  laughing  baby  to  a  young  man. 
His  boyhood  in  the  great  black  tents  was  happy;  he  was  a 
gentle,  quiet  lad,  a  close  companion  of  his  father,  whom  he 
learned  to  obey  and  to  trust  absolutely. 

One  day  when  he  was  quite  grown  up,  we  should  say, 
his  father  called  to  him. 

“  Come,  Isaac,”  he  said,  “  we  are  going  to  make  an  expe¬ 
dition  to  the  land  of  Moriah.” 

“  Why  are  we  going,  father?  ”  Isaac  may  have  asked. 

“  Jehovah  God  has  commanded  me  to  go  thither  to  sacri¬ 
fice,”  said  Abraham.  And  this  was  true.  God  had  com¬ 
manded  Abraham  to  go  to  the  land  of  Moriah,  and  there  to 
sacrifice  Isaac,  his  son,  the  pride  and  joy  of  his  life.  At 
this  time  Abraham  did  not  tell  Isaac  what  the  sacrifice  was 
to  be.  He  was  obedient  to  God ;  he  knew  that  God  had 
promised  that  Isaac  should  be  the  ancestor  of  a  great  race, 
and  that  now  he  was  commanded  to  sacrifice  him.  How 
God  would  fulfill  his  promise  he  did  not  understand,  but 
he  trusted  and  obeyed.  However,  he  did  not  tell  Isaac.  He 
did  not  tell  anyone  what  God’s  command  had  been. 

Early  in  the  morning  the  party  set  out,  Abraham  and 
Isaac  and  two  servants,  with  an  ass  bearing  their  supplies, 
the  wood  for  the  sacrifice,  and  the  little  vessel  which  con- 


118 


If 

It 


C.  H  sM5i 

i> 


*#»**^_ 


C.  Arnold  Slade 


Used  by  permission. 

ABRAHAM  AND  ISAAC 


JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 


119 


tained  fire.  All  that  day  they  traveled,  camping-  at  night; 
the  next  day  they  moved  on  again.  On  the  third  day  as 
Abraham  looked  off  into  the  distance  he  could  see  the  place 
to  which  God  had  commanded  him  to  go. 

“  This  is  the  stopping  place,”  Abraham  then  said  to  his 
servants.  “  I  will  take  Isaac  and  go  ahead  to  worship. 
Stay  here  until  we  come  back.” 

You  see  that  Abraham  was  very  sure  of  God’s  love  for 
him  and  of  God’s  promise.  He  did  not  say,  “  I  ”  will  come 
again  to  you,  but  “  we  ”  will  come  again.  His  faith  in  God 
never  wavered. 

Quickly  they  unloaded  the  ass.  They  placed  on  Isaac’s 
hack  the  wood  which  they  had  brought.  Abraham  took  in 
his  hand  his  knife  and  the  little  vessel  in  which  a  spark  of 
fire  still  burned,  and  he  and  Isaac  went  forward. 

“  Father,  tell  me  something,”  Isaac  said.  “  We  have  wood 
and  fire  here  for  our  sacrifice,  but  where  is  the  lamb  for  the 
burnt-offering  ?  ” 

Then  Abraham  showed  once  more  how  truly  he  trusted 
God.  Even  then  he  did  not  say  to  Isaac  that  he  was  to  be 
the  sacrifice.  Instead  he  said  what  he  hoped  and  knew  in 
his  heart  must  be  true:  “  God  will  provide  himself  the  lamb 
for  a  burnt-offering,  my  son.” 

So  talking,  father  and  son  went  on  until  they  came  to  the 
place  of  which  God  had  told  Abraham.  Abraham  built  an 
altar.  He  bound  Isaac  his  son  and  laid  him  on  the  altar. 
He  put  out  his  hand  to  take  the  knife  to  kill  the  young  man. 

And  then  God’s  angel  spoke  from  heaven. 

“  Abraham,  Abraham  !  ”  he  said. 

How  happy  the  father  must  have  been  to  hear  that  voice. 
How  glad  he  must  have  been  to  answer,  “  Here  am  I !  ” 

“  Lay  not  thy  hand  upon  the  lad,”  God’s  words  continued, 
“  neither  do  thou  any  thing  unto  him ;  for  now  I  know  that 
thou  fearest  God,  seeing  thou  hast  not  withheld  thy  son, 
thine  only  son,  from  me.” 

And  as  Abraham  lifted  up  his  eyes  he  saw  a  ram  caught 
in  the  thicket  by  his  horns.  Quickly  he  caught  the  ram. 
Quickly  he  unloosed  Isaac  and  together  they  offered  up  the 
ram  as  a  burnt  offering. 

It  must  have  been  a  true  thank  offering  to  God,  who  had 


120  JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 

in  his  way  tested  the  faith  of  both  his  servants,  Abraham 
and  Isaac. 

And  because  God  himself  provided  the  lamb  for  the  sac¬ 
rifice,  Abraham  called  the  place  “  Jehovah-jireh,”  “In  the 
mount  of  Jehovah  it  shall  be  provided.” 

Quietly  and  solemnly  Abraham  and  Isaac  must  have  gone 
back  to  the  servants  and  turned  their  steps  homeward.  Rev¬ 
erently  they  must  have  thanked  God  that  they  had  not 
failed  in  the  test  which  he  had  set  before  them. 


Handwork 

Build  an  altar  of  stones  on  the  sand  table. 


Notebook  Work 

Enter  this  lesson  story  in  your  notebook,  and  copy  in  con¬ 
nection  with  it  the  words  of  Hebrews  11 : 17-19. 

Map  Work 

Bible  students  do  not  know  exactly  where  to  place  the 
land  of  Moriah,  where  Abraham  was  commanded  to  sacri¬ 
fice  Isaac.  Some  people  think  that  it  was  the  same  as 
Mount  Moriah,  where  the  Temple  at  Jerusalem  was  later 
built.  Other  people  think  it  was  the  land  of  Moreh,  and 
still  others  think  that  it  was  Mount  Gerizim. 

Find  on  your  map  the  city  of  Jerusalem  and  mark  this  as 
one  of  the  places  where  this  test  of  Abraham’s  faith  may 
have  taken  place. 

Expressionae  Activity 

Try  hard  this  week  to  be  obedient  in  every  way  to  your 
parents  and  to  your  teachers,  and  to  all  whom  God  has  made 
older  and  wiser  than  you. 

Memory  Work 

In  addition  to  your  Memory  Verse,  learn  Psalm  25  ■ 5 ,  6. 


JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS  121 

SUNDAY  SESSION 

GOD’S  PROMISE  TO  ABRAHAM 
Genesis  22  : 1 5- 1 9 
The:  Memory  Verse 

“  I  will  establish  my  covenant  with  him  for  an  everlast¬ 
ing  covenant  for  his  seed  after  him.” — Genesis  17  :19b. 

The  Lesson  Story 

Once  more,  after  Abraham  had  shown  his  willingness  to 
obey  Cxod  and  to  sacrifice  Isaac,  God’s  message  came  to  his 
obedient  servant,  promising  that  through  him  all  the  world 
should  be  blessed.  This  was  the  eighth  time  that  such  a 
promise  to  Abraham  is  given  in  the  Bible.  God  told  Abra¬ 
ham  again  and  again  what  he  meant  to  do  for  him. 

The  First  Time.  “  Now  Jehovah  said  unto  Abram,  Get 
thee  out  of  thy  country,  and  from  thy  kindred,  and  from  thy 
father’s  house,  unto  the  land  that  I  will  show  thee :  and  I  will 
make  of  thee  a  great  nation,  and  I  will  bless  thee,  and  make 
thy  name  great ;  and  be  thou  a  blessing :  .  .  .  and  in  thee 
shall  all  the  families  of  the  earth  be  blessed.”  Genesis 
12:1-3. 

This  promise  was  made  when  Abraham  was  about  to  set 
out  from  Haran,  in  obedience  to  God’s  command. 

The  Second  Promise.  “  And  Jehovah  appeared  unto 
Abram,  and  said,  Unto  thy  seed  will  I  give  this  land.” 
Genesis  12:7a.  This  promise  was  made  when  Abraham 
first  entered  the  Promised  Land. 

The  Third  Promise.  “And  Jehovah  said  unto-  Abram, 
after  that  Lot  was  separated  from  him,  Lift  up  now  thine 
eyes,  and  look  from  the  place  where  thou  art,  northward  and 
southward  and  eastward  and  westward:  for  all  the  land 
which  thou  seest,  to  thee  will  I  give  it,  and  to  thy  seed  for¬ 
ever.  And  I  will  make  thy  seed  as  the  dust  of  the  earth :  so 
that  if  a  man  can  number  the  dust  of  the  earth,  then  may 
thy  seed  also  be  numbered.”  Genesis  13:14-16. 

This  promise  was  made  after  Abraham  had  generously 
given  Lot  the  first  choice  of  the  land. 

The  Fourth  Promise.  “  After  these  things  the  word  of 


122 


JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 


Jehovah  came  unto  Abram  in  a  vision,  saying,  Fear  not, 
Abram :  I  am  thy  shield,  and  thy  exceeding  great  reward. 
.  .  .  And  he  brought  him  forth  abroad,  and  said,  Look  now 
toward  heaven,  and  number  the  stars,  if  thou  be  able  to 
number  them :  and  he  said  unto  him,  So  shall  thy  seed  be. 
And  he  believed  in  Jehovah.”  Genesis  15:1,  5,  6a. 

This  promise  was  made  after  Abraham  had  delivered  Lot 
from  the  power  of  the  four  kings. 

The  Fifth  Promise.  “  Jehovah  appeared  to  Abram,  and 
said  unto  him,  I  am  God  Almighty ;  .  .  .  I  will  make  my 
covenant  between  me  and  thee,  ...  I  will  give  unto  thee, 
and  to  thy  seed  after  thee,  the  land  of  thy  sojournings,  all 
the  land  of  Canaan,  for  an  everlasting  possession;  and  I  will 
be  their  God.”  Genesis  17:1-10. 

This  promise  was  made  just  before  the  visit  of  the  three 
strangers  to  Abraham’s  tent. 

The  Sixth  Promise.  “  Abraham  shall  surely  become  a 
great  and  mighty  nation,  and  all  the  nations  of  the  earth 
shall  be  blessed  in  him.”  Genesis  18:18. 

This  promise  was  made  just  at  the  conclusion  of  the  visit 
of  the  three  strangers. 

The  Seventh  Promise.  “  In  Isaac  shall  thy  seed  be 
called.”  Genesis  21  :12c. 

This  promise  was  made  at  the  conclusion  of  the  feast 
when  Isaac  was  weaned. 

The  Eighth  Promise.  “  And  the  angel  of  Jehovah  called 
unto  Abraham  a  second  time  out  of  heaven,  and  said,  By 
myself  have  I  sworn,  saith  Jehovah,  ...  that  in  blessing 
I  will  bless  thee,  and  in  multiplying  I  will  multiply  thy  seed 
as  the  stars  of  the  heavens,  and  as  the  sand  which  is  upon 
the  sea-shore  ;  .  .  .  and  in  thy  seed  shall  all  the  nations  of 
the  earth  be  blessed ;  because  thou  hast  obeyed  my  voice.” 
Genesis  22  :1 5-18. 

See  in  how  many  ways  God  promised  to  help  Abraham. 
He  will  be  a  shield  and  a  defender  to  him ;  he  will  be  his 
exceeding  great  reward  ;  his  descendants  shall  be  like  the 
dust  of  the  earth ;  like  the  stars  in  the  sky,  like  the  sands  of 
the  seashore — so  many,  that  is,  that  they  cannot  be  num¬ 
bered.  And  all  these  promises  of  God  to  Abraham  have 
been  fulfilled,  as  we  who  live  hundreds  of  years  afterwards, 
know.  And  because  God  was  faithful  in  carrying  out  his 


JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 


123 


promises  to  faithful  Abraham,  we  know  that  he  will  be 
faithful  in  carrying  out  his  promises  to  us,  if  we  are  faith¬ 
ful  to  him. 

Putting  the:  Lesson  Into  the:  Life:  of  the  Class 

The  land  which  God  has  promised  to  give  to  his  followers 
of  to-day  if  they  are  faithful  to  him,  is  the  Promised  Land 
of  heaven.  If  we  are  obedient  to  him  and  faithful  to  his 
commandments,  we  shall  be  rewarded  as  was  Abraham,  for 
our  obedience  and  our  faith. 

God  carried  out  his  promise  to  Abraham  in  sending  to  the 
world  our  Saviour,  Jesus  Christ.  We  should  try  to  help  in 
carrying  his  promise  to  its  complete  fulfillment  by  obeying 
the  command  of  Jesus,  to  go  into  all  the  world  and  preach 
his  gospel  to  every  creature. 

When  we  help  in  the  work  of  the  missionaries  who  are 
trying  to  fulfill  the  last  command  of  Jesus,  we  are  helping 
to  fulfill  God’s  promise  to  Abraham. 

The  Lesson  Truth  in  Your  Life 

God  wants  his  followers  of  to-day  to  be  as  faithful  and 
obedient  as  was  Abraham.  Jesus  will  help  us  when  we  are 
trying  to  follow  God’s  commands,  if  we  will  ask  him  for 
help.  We  will  try,  with  Jesus’  help,  to  follow  the  example 
of  faithful  Abraham. 


EXPRESSIONAL  SESSION 

GOD’S  PROMISES  TO  US 
Hebrews  6:11-15;  10:23,  24 

Suggestions  for  the  Leader’s  Opening  Address 

We  have  seen  in  the  lessons  that  we  have  been  studying 
some  of  the  promises  which  God  made  to  Abraham.  From 
what  we  have  learned  we  know  how  these  promises  have 
been  fulfilled.  To  us,  too,  God  has  made  promises,  and  he 
is  sure  to  keep  the  promises  which  he  has  made  to  us,  as 


124 


JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 


he  kept  the  promises  made  to  Abraham.  Some  of  these 
promises  we  can  find  in  the  Bible.  Some  of  them  we  have 
studied,  for  instance,  the  promise  to  Noah  that  the  world 
should  never  again  be  destroyed  by  flood.  In  token  of  this 
promise  God  set  his  bow  in  the  clouds  to  remind  his  fol¬ 
lowers  of  all  time  of  this  promise  that  he  made. 

To-day  we  are  going  to  learn  what  some  of  these  prom¬ 
ises  are,  and  how  we  can  help  in  bringing  them  quickly  to 
pass.  We  have  learned  one  way  in  which  we  can  help  to 
bring  to  pass  the  promise  made  to  Abraham  that  through 
his  descendants  all  the  people  of  the  world  should  be  blessed. 
We  help  in  doing  this  when  we  tell  the  good  news  of  the 
coming  of  Jesus  the  Saviour  to  the  world,  when  we  help  to 
send  missionaries  to  tell  others  of  him.  We  want  to  help 
to  bring  to  pass  as  quickly  as  possible  God’s  promises  to  the 
people  of  the  world. 


The  Class  Prayer 

Our  Father  in  heaven,  help  us  to  do  the  things  we  should, 
so  that  thy  promises  to  us  and  to  all  the  world  may  be  ful¬ 
filled  as  quickly  as  possible.  We  ask  in  Jesus’  name.  Amen. 

Verses  for  Use  in  the  Meeting 

Deuteronomy  1:11;  15:6;  I  Kings  8:56;  Psalm  105:42; 
Luke  1  :72,  73  ;  Acts  2  :39  ;  13  :32,  33  ;  26 :6,  7  ;  Romans  4 :21  ; 
II  Corinthians  1  :20 ;  7:1  ;  Galatians  3  :16,  18,  29;  Ephesians 
3:6;  Hebrews  10:23;  II  Peter  1:4;  3:9,  13. 

Hymns  for  Use  in  the  Meeting 

“  The  Lord  Will  Provide.” 

“  But  the  Lord  Is  Mindful.” 

“  The  King  of  Love  My  Shepherd  Is.” 

“  Thou  Bid’st  Us  Seek  Thee  Early.” 

“  Children  of  the  Heavenly  King.” 

“  Ye  Servants  of  God.” 

Questions  for  Use  in  the  Meeting 

1.  What  was  God’s  promise  to  Noah? 

2.  What  was  the  sign  of  that  promise? 


JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 


125 


3.  Has  it  been  fulfilled? 

4.  What  was  God’s  promise  to  Abraham  ? 

5.  How  many  times  did  he  repeat  this  promise? 

6.  How  did  God  fulfill  this  promise? 

7.  Has  God  made  any  promises  to  the  people  of  to-day 
in  the  Bible? 

8.  How  can  you  help  to  make  those  promises  come  true? 

9.  Has  God  made  any  promises  to  you  in  the  Bible  ? 

Topics  for  Discussion  or  Reports 

1.  Some  Old  Testament  Promises. 

2.  Some  New  Testament  Promises. 

3.  God’s  Promises  to  Us. 

4.  How  God’s  Promises  Are  Carried  Out. 

5.  Helping  to  Make  the  World  Ready  for  the  Fulfill¬ 
ment  of  God’s  Promises. 


Some  Bible  Promises  and  Where  They  Are  Found 

1.  A  Promise  to  Noah.  Genesis  8:22. 

2.  Another  Promise  to  Noah.  Genesis  9:11. 

3.  A  Promise  to  Abraham.  Genesis  18:18. 

4.  A  Promise  to  Obedient  Children.  Exodus  20:12; 
Ephesians  6  :2,  3. 

5.  A  Promise  About  Prayer.  Matthew  7 :7,  8. 

6.  A  Promise  of  Help.  Isaiah  41  :10. 

7.  A  Promise  of  Eternal  Life.  I  John  2:25. 

8.  A  Promise  of  a  Crown  in  Heaven.  James  1  :12;  Rev¬ 
elation  2  :10b. 


CHAPTER  XIII 

WEEK  DAY  SESSION 

REBEKAH  AT  THE  WELL 
Genesis,  chapter  24 
The  Memory  Verse 

“And  they  blessed  Rebekah.” — Genesis  24:60. 


The  Story  of  Isaac  and  Rebekah 

(You  can  plan  to  give  this  little  play  of  Isaac  and  Re¬ 
bekah  at  the  Week  Day  Session  or  at  the  Expressional 
Session  of  the  school.) 

Characters,  in  Order  of  Their  Appearance 

Abraham,  the  chief  of  the  tribe.  At  this  time  about 
one  hundred  and  forty  years  old. 

Eeiezer,  his  servant.  An  elderly  man. 

Rebekah,  a  young  girl. 

Laban,  her  brother. 

Milcah,  her  grandmother. 

Bethuee,  her  father. 

Nahor,  her  grandfather,  Abraham’s  brother,  a  very  old 
man. 

Isaac,  Abraham’s  son,  a  man  of  forty  years  old. 

Costumes 

These  may  be  made  of  cheesecloth.  Your  teachers  will 
help  you  with  them. 


126 


JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS  127 

Scene  I 

Abraham’s  Encampment  at  Beer-sheba.  One  of  his  tents 

is  shown. 

Abraham  (alone).  Sarah,  my  wife  is  dead,  and  Isaac,  my 
son,  and  I  are  lonely  without  a  woman  in  the  great  tent 
to  command  the  servants  and  to  prepare  our  food.  I 
am  an  old  man,  and  I  would  that  Isaac  should  marry 
before  I  die.  And  yet — I  would  not  have  him  take  a 
wife  from  among  these  heathen  neighbors.  I  would 
have  him  marry  a  follower  of  the  true  God,  one  of  my 
kinsfolk.  I  will  send  my  trusted  servant,  Eliezer,  who 
rules  over  all  my  household,  back  to  Haran,  to  the  home 
of  Nahor,  my  brother.  There  he  shall  find  a  wife  for 
Isaac,  who  is  a  follower  of  Jehovah  God,  who  will  be 
a  worthy  successor  to  Sarah.  (He  calls.)  Eliezer! 

(Servant  enters.) 

Abraham.  Eliezer,  I  have  an  errand  for  thee — an  errand 
of  importance.  Swear  to  be  true  to  me  and  I  will  tell 
thee  all  my  plans. 

Eliezer.  O  my  master,  I  will  swear  to  do  as  thou  com- 
mandest. 

Abraham.  Swear  that  thou  wilt  not  allow  Isaac  my  son  to 
marry  a  wife  from  among  the  Canaanites. 

Eliezer.  I  swear  that  I  will  not  allow  him  so  to  do. 

;  Abraham.  Then  make  ready  to  go  to  the  home  of  my 
brother  Nahor  in  Haran.  There  find  a  wife  for  Isaac, 
a  follower  of  the  true  God. 

Eliezer.  Perhaps  I  shall  not  be  able  to  find  a  woman  who 
will  come  with  me. 

1 1  Abraham.  Jehovah  God  has  promised  all  this  land  to  me 
and  to  my  children  and  to  my  grandchildren.  He  will 
direct  thee  in  the  right  way.  She  will  come.  But  the 
journey  is  long,  Eliezer — five  hundred  miles  and  more. 
Haste  thee  to  prepare.  Take  ten  camels  with  thee,  and 
j  servants  and  gold  and  jewels.  Make  haste!  The  time 

grows  short.  Make  haste  1 

Eliezer.  I  hasten,  master,  to  obey. 


128 


JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 


Scene:  II 

Haran — the  well.  Slowly  Eliezer  approaches  as  if  tired. 

(Seats  himself  on  the  well  curb.) 

EeiEzer.  It  is  evening,  and  I  am  weary.  The  journey  has 
been  long,  but  it  is  finished  at  last.  May  God  direct 
the  choice  of  a  wife  for  the  son  of  my  master,  Abra¬ 
ham  !  He  will  guide  me.  Let  it  come  to  pass,  that  the 
damsel  to  whom  I  shall  say,  Let  down  thy  pitcher,  I 
pray  thee,  that  I  may  drink ;  and  she  shall  say,  Drink, 
and  I  will  give  thy  camels  drink  also :  let  the  same  be 
she  that  is  appointed  for  thy  servant  Isaac. 

(As  he  is  speaking,  Rebekah  appears  in  the  distance  with 

a  pitcher  on  her  shoulder.  Goes  to  the  well  and  fills  her 

pitcher,  glancing  curiously  at  the  stranger.) 

Eliezer.  Give  me  to  drink,  I  pray  thee,  a  little  water  from 
thy  pitcher. 

Rebekaei.  Drink,  my  lord.  (She  lets  down  her  pitcher 
into  the  well,  and  gives  a  drink  to  the  old  man.)  I  will 
draw  for  thy  camels  also,  until  they  have  done  drink¬ 
ing.  (Again  lets  down  her  pitcher  into  the  well.) 

Eliezer  (watching  her.  He  speaks  to  himself).  Here  is  a 
kind  and  beautiful  maiden,  careful  for  the  beasts  as  well 
as  for  the  man.  (Draws  from  his  stores  a  gold  ring 
and  two  bracelets.)  Damsel,  come  hither.  Here  is  a 
present  for  thee  in  return  for  thy  kindness. 

Rebekah  (receiving  the  gifts  with  pleasure).  Thanks, 
stranger.  It  is  little  that  I  have  done  to  receive  so  great 
a  reward. 

Eliezer.  Whose  daughter  art  thou?  Tell  me,  I  pray  thee. 
Is  there  room  in  thy  father’s  house  for  us  to  lodge  in? 

Rebekah.  I  am  the  daughter  of  Bethuel,  the  son  of  Nahor. 
We  have  straw  and  food  enough  for  the  camels,  and 
food  and  room  for  thee  and  for  thy  servants.  (She 
hastens  away.) 

Eliezer.  Blessed  be  Jehovah,  the  God  of  my  master  Abra¬ 
ham,  who  has  led  me  in  the  way  to  the  house  of  my 
master’s  brother ! 

(Laban,  Rebekah’s  brother,  enters  and  speaks  to  Eliezer.) 


JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 


129 


Laban.  Come,  come,  friend.  Wherefore  standest  thou 
here?  There  is  a  place  prepared  for  thee  and  for  thy 
servants.  Come,  my  friend,  come. 

Scene  III 


The  house  of  Nahor. 

Miecah  (Rachel’s  grandmother).  Here,  friend,  is  food 
for  thee. 

EeiEzer.  No,  I  will  not  eat  until  I  have  told  my  errand. 

Laban.  Speak  on. 

Eeiezer.  I  am  the  servant  of  Abraham.  Jehovah  hath 
blessed  my  master  greatly ;  and  he  hath  given  him  flocks 
and  herds,  and  silver  and  gold,  and  men-servants  and 
maid-servants,  and  camels  and  asses.  My  master  has 
a  son,  Isaac,  to  whom  he  hath  given  all  that  he  hath. 
He  desires  a  wife  for  his  son  who  is  not  one  of  the 
heathen  Canaanites,  and  so  he  hath  sent  me  hither  to 
the  city  of  his  kinsfolk  to  find  a  wife  for  Isaac. 

Bethuel.  It  is  true.  Abraham  is  the  brother  of  Nahor, 
my  father. 

Nahor  (a  very  old  man).  Yes,  Abraham  is  my  brother. 
Has  he  prospered  in  his  wanderings,  didst  thou  say? 

EliEzer.  Yes,  he  hath  prospered.  And  when  I  came  to 
Haran,  I  asked  Jehovah  God  to  point  out  to  me  the 
maiden  who  should  be  Isaac’s  bride.  And  lo !  Re- 
bekah  came.  Tell  me,  I  pray  you,  shall  Rebekah  be 
the  wife  of  Isaac? 

Bethuel  and  Laban.  Behold,  God  hath  planned  these 
things,  that  Rebekah  might  be  thy  master’s  son’s  wife. 
Take  her. 

EliEzer  (bows  to  the  ground  in  prayer.  Calls  one  of  his 
servants).  Hadad,  bring  forth  the  gifts  that  my  master 
hath  sent  hither.  (Presents  gold  and  silver  and  gar¬ 
ments  to  Rebekah  and  to  her  mother  and  father.) 
Here  is  a  ring  for  thee ;  and  a  garment  for  thee ;  and  a 
bracelet  for  thee.  My  master  Abraham  is  rich  and 
generous. 


130 


JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 


Laban.  We  thank  thee  for  thy  kindness,  O  stranger.  But 
come,  let  us  eat  and  drink. 

Eliezer.  Yes,  let  us  eat  and  drink  and  rest,  for  to-morrow 
I  would  that  we  should  set  out  on  our  journey. 

Laban.  Let  the  maiden  stay  with  us  for  a  few  days  longer. 

EliEzer.  Hinder  me  not,  friends.  Let  me  go  quickly  back 
to  my  master. 

Miecah.  We  will  let  the  damsel  herself  decide.  What  wilt 
thou  do,  Rebekah  ? 

Rebekah.  I  will  go.  Let  my  nurse  be  summoned.  Let  us 
prepare  for  the  journey. 

Scene  IV 

(Beer-sheba,  again.  Isaac  in  a  field,  alone.  Eliezer  and 

Rebekah,  veiled,  come  near.) 

EeiEzer.  Here  is  the  damsel  whom  I  have  brought  with 
me  from  Haran,  O  son  of  my  master.  She  is  the 
maiden,  Rebekah,  the  granddaughter  of  thy  father’s 
brother. 

Isaac.  Welcome,  Rebekah.  (Takes  her  by  the  hand.)  I 
will  lead  thee  to  my  father.  Thou  shalt  be  my  wife. 
Thou  shalt  have  the  tent  of  Sarah  my  mother  and  be 
mistress  of  the  household.  Welcome,  Rebekah,  wel¬ 
come.  Here  are  my  father  and  the  servants.  (Leads 
Rebekah  forward,  as  Abraham  enters.)  Here,  my 
father,  is  Rebekah,  the  maiden  whom  Eliezer  has 
brought  from  Haran. 

Abraham.  Welcome,  Rebekah,  daughter  of  my  house. 
(Turns  to  his  attendants.)  Hasten  and  prepare  the 
wedding  feast,  for  to-day  my  son  shall  marry  a  wife 
who  is  a  follower  of  the  true  God.  Prepare  the  fatted 
calf,  and  wheaten  cakes.  Make  ready  !  Hasten  ! 

Handwork 

Preparing  the  costumes  for  the  dramatization. 

Notebook  Work 

Enter  the  story  of  Rebekah  and  Isaac  in  your  notebooks. 


JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS  131 

Expressionar  Activity 
Acting  out  the  dramatization. 

Memory  Work 

The  memorization  of  the  parts  of  this  drama. 


SUNDAY  SESSION 

THE  STORY  OF  REBEKAH 
Genesis,  chapter  24 
The  Memory  Verse 

“  Eet  not  kindness  and  truth  forsake  thee :  .  .  . 

So  shalt  thou  find  favor  and  good  understanding 
In  the  sight  of  God  and  man.” — Proverbs  3  :3a,  4. 


The  Lesson  Story 

“  Rebekah,  it  is  time  to  draw  the  water  for  the  evening 
meal.  Go  down  to  the  well  for  it,  my  child.” 

Milcah,  the  grandmother  of  Rebekah,  spoke.  Rebekah 
turned  obediently.  She  picked  up  the  great  stone  pitcher 
and  placed  it  on  her  shoulder.  She  went  quickly  toward 
the  well  where  the  women  of  the  city  drew  the  water  that 
they  needed  for  their  households. 

Little  did  Rebekah  know,  as  she  went  to  the  well,  what 
God  had  in  store  for  her.  Little  did  she  know  that  there 
was  waiting  for  her  at  the  well  an  old  man  whose  coming 
would  change  her  life.  She  glanced  at  him  curiously  when 
she  first  saw  him.  Then,  when  he  asked  her  to  draw  for 
him  a  drink  of  water,  she  looked  at  him  more  closely.  Off 
in  the  distance  she  saw  the  ten  camels  and  the  servants  be¬ 
side  them.  “  Drink,  my  lord,” 'she  said,  lowering  the  pitcher 
which  she  carried  on  her  shoulder.  “  I  will  draw  water  for 
your  camels,  also.” 

She  lowered  the  pitcher  into  the  well  again  and  again. 
Quickly  she  drew  water  for  those  ten  thirsty  camels,  which 
had  been  traveling  for  miles  and  miles  over  the  desert  sands, 


132 


JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 


which  were  no  doubt  very  thirsty  after  days  and  nights 
without  water. 

But  Rebekah  did  not  hesitate.  She  let  down  the  pitcher 
into  the  well  over  and  over  again.  She  drew  water  until  all 
had  had  enough.  She  must  have  found  the  work  hard ;  the 
pitcher  must  have  been  heavy  as  she  pulled  it  up  again  and 
again  and  again.  But  she  did  it — and  what  is  more,  she 
drew  the  water  without  any  hope  of  reward.  She  did  not 
do  it  for  pay.  She  did  it  voluntarily,  that  is,  of  her  own 
free  will. 

That  is  a  lesson  which  the  Bible  wants  us  to  learn.  “  Be 
ye  kind  one  to  another,’’  the  New  Testament  says.  Be 
kind  to  everyone  in  all  the  world — friend  or  stranger,  old  or 
young,  man  or  beast. 

Eliezer  had  asked  God  to  point  out  to  him  by  this  very 
sign  what  maiden  was  to  be  Isaac’s  wife.  The  result 
showed  that  Rebekah  was  kind-hearted,  generous  of  her 
time  and  strength,  and  hospitable.  She  cared  for  animals  as 
well  as  for  people.  She  was  like  the  Good  Samaritan  in 
Jesus’  parable,  willing  to1  do  a  kind  act  for  a  stranger  of 
whom  she  knew  nothing. 

And  so  God  rewarded  her.  Eliezer  first  presented  her 
with  bracelets  and  a  ring.  Later  the  great  result  of  her 
kind  act  came  to  her.  She  was  chosen  as  the  wife  of  Isaac, 
and  so  it  has  come  about  that  her  name  has  been  handed 
down  to  us  as  that  of  one  of  the  greatest  women  in  the 
Bible,  one  of  those  whose  name  stands  out  as  that  of  an 
ancestress  of  Jesus. 

Putting  the  Lesson  Into  the  Life  of  the  Ceass 

Rebekah  was  kind  to  a  stranger.  She  showed  respect  for 
the  old  man.  She  is  an  example  to  all  of  us  in  kindliness  and 
in  respect  for  our  elders.  She  received  a  reward,  but  she 
was  not  kind  for  the  sake  of  the  reward.  So  we,  too,  must 
be  kind  to  others  and  respectful  to  our  elders,  not  for  the 
sake  of  any  reward  for  which  we  may  hope,  but  because  it 
is  right,  and  so  we  shall  please  the  heavenly  Father. 

Rebekah  was  kind  to  dumb  animals.  She  thought  of  the 
camels,  and  of  how  thirsty  they  must  be.  She  took  care  of 
their  needs,  even  though  it  meant  a  great  deal  of  extra  work 
for  her. 


JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 


133 


Are  you  always  thoughtful  of  strangers  as  Rebekah  was? 
Are  you  always  thoughtful  of  old  people  and  of  what  you 
can  do  for  them?  Do  you  always  treat  them  with  respect? 
Sometimes  it  seems  a  bother  to  get  grandmother's  spectacles, 
or  to  listen  when  grandfather  talks  when  you  yourself  want 
to  talk,  but  you  must  remember  that  your  grandmother  and 
your  grandfather  are  older  and  wiser  than  you  are,  and  that 
you  should  treat  them  with  respect. 

Abraham  entertained  angels  unawares.  Rebekah  drew 
water  from  the  well  for  Abrahanrs  servant  without  hope  of 
a  reward,  but  she  received  a  great  reward.  So  sometimes 
when  we  think  that  we  are  doing  a  great  deal  for  others,  we 
shall  suddenly  find  that  they  are  doing  a  great  deal  for  us, 
and  that  we  are  being  unexpectedly  rewarded. 

The  Lesson  Truth  in  Your  Liee 

The  words  of  the  Memory  Verse : 

“  Let  not  kindness  and  truth  forsake  thee :  .  .  . 

So  shall  thou  find  favor  and  good  understanding 
In  the  sight  of  God  and  man.'’ 


EXPRESSION AL  SESSION 

HOW  JUNIORS  MAY  BE  KIND 
Ephesians  4  :32 

Suggestions  for  the  Leader's  Opening  Address 

Perhaps  it  seems  to  you  that  because  you  are  only  a 
Junior,  you  cannot  be  kind  to  anyone  or  to  anything.  If 
you  think  that,  you  are  mistaken,  for  there  are  many  ways 
in  which  you  can  show  yourself  kind  to  others. 

The  Boy  Scouts  have  a  law  that  they  should  do  a  kind 
act  every  day.  A  Christian  Junior,  whether  a  boy  or  a  girl, 
should  do  better  than  the  Scout  pledge  requires ;  he  should 
do  a  kind  act  every  chance  that  he  gets,  so  he  will  be  the 
sort  of  Christian  that  God  wants  him  to  be,  helping  where- 
ever  he  has  a  chance. 


134 


JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 


The:  Class  Prayer 

Our  Father  in  heaven,  help  us  to  be  kind  as  Jesus  told  us 
that  we  should  be.  Help  us  to  be  kind  to  old  people  and  to 
little  children,  to  friends  and  relatives,  and  to  strangers;  to 
dumb  animals  as  well  as  to  people.  We  ask  in  Jesus’  name. 
Amen. 


Verses  for  Use  in  the  Meeting 

Luke  6:35;  I  Corinthians  13:4;  Proverbs  31:26;  John 
2:13;  4 :2 ;  I  Timothy  5  :4 ;  II  Peter  1  :7. 

Hymns  for  Use  in  the  Meeting 

“  Somebody  Did  a  Kind  Deed  To-Day.” 

“  Love  Thyself  Last.” 

Master,  No  Offering  Costly  and  Sweet.” 

“  If  You  Cannot  Cross  the  Ocean.” 

“  Has  Some  One  a  Kindness  Shown.” 

Questions  for  Use  in  the  Meeting 

1.  Plow  can  a  Junior  be  kind  to  a  stranger,  so  following 
Rebekah's  example? 

2.  How  can  a  Junior  be  kind  to  an  old  person? 

3.  How  can  a  Junior  be  kind  to  an  animal? 

4.  Have  you  been  kind  to  anyone  this  week? 

5.  Have  you  expected  a  reward  when  you  were  kind? 

Topics  for  Discussion  or  Reports 

1.  Kindness  to  Those  We  Do  Not  Know. 

2.  Kindness  in  Our  Own  Family. 

3.  Kindness  in  School. 

4.  Kindness  to  the  Stranger  in  School. 

5.  Kindness  to  Pets. 

6.  Kindness  to  Stray  Animals. 

7.  Abraham’s  Kindness. 

8.  Some  Ways  in  Which  Jesus  Showed  Himself  Kind. 

To  Read  in  the  Meeting 

When  you  see  in  the  street  a  strange  person  who  is  in¬ 
quiring  the  way  to  a  house  that  you  know,  you  will  be  kind 


JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 


135 


if  you  direct  him  politely,  or  take  him  to  the  place  where 
he  wants  to  go. 

If  there  is  a  strange  child  in  school,  you  should  be  sure  to 
invite  him  to  take  a  part  in  your  games  and  plays.  In  do¬ 
ing  this  you  will  be  kind. 

If  baby  sister  falls,  you  will  run  to  pick  her  up,  and  com¬ 
fort  her.  In  that  way  you  can  be  kind. 

If  you  never  forget  to  feed  your  pet  dog  or  kitten,  you 
will  be  showing  kindness  to  them. 

If  you  help  your  friend  to  learn  the  history  lesson  which 
she  missed  because  she  was  ill,  you  will  be  showing  kind¬ 
ness  to  her. 

“  Kind  hearts  are 


more  than  coronets.” 


CHAPTER  XIV 

WEEK  DAY  SESSION 

THE  STORY  OF  JACOB  AND  ESAU 
Genesis  25  :27-34 

The  Memory  Verse 

“  But  desire  earnestly  the  greater  gifts.” 

— I  Corinthians  12:31a. 

The  Lesson  Story 

Twenty  years  passed  by,  and  Isaac  and  Rebekah  had  no 
children.  And  then,  one  day,  there  was  great  happiness  in 
the  encampment,  for  twin  boys  were  born  to  them.  The 
older  twin  had  a  great  quantity  of  red  hair,  and  so  was 
called  “  Esau.”  a  name  which  means  “  hairy.”  The  other 
baby  was  named  Jacob. 

As  the  boys  grew  up,  they  were  very  different.  Esau  was 
eager  to  be  out  of  doors ;  he  liked  to  hunt  and  to  wander 
through  the  fields  in  search  of  game.  Jacob  was  quieter 
than  his  brother.  He  liked  to  stay  at  home  with  his  mother. 
He  liked  to  listen  to  the  stories  of  the  old  men  of  the  en¬ 
campment,  and  particularly  he  must  have  enjoyed  the  listen¬ 
ing  to  Grandfather  Abraham.  The  old  grandfather,  who 
was  more  than  one  hundred  and  Gxty  years  older  than  the 
boys,  must  have  told  such  interesting  stories  of  far-away 
lands,  of  his  travels  from  Haran,  and  down  to  Egypt.  And 
particularly  he  must  have  impressed  upon  both  the  boys 
the  wonder  of  God’s  promise  to  him  and  to  his  descendants. 

“  Your  children,  my  grandsons,”  he  may  have  said,  “  will 
be  a  blessing  to  the  whole  world.  God  has  promised  this, 
and  his  promises  never  fail.” 

But,  strange  to  say,  Esau,  the  first-born,  who  would  be 
expected  to  be  the  heir,  did  not  care  very  much  about  Abra¬ 
ham’s  stories.  As  he  sat  there  by  his  grandfather,  often  his 


136 


JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 


137 


thoughts  were  on  the  hunt  of  the  next  day.  He  did  not  care 
very  much  about  the  birthright,  or  about  his  children  and 
his  grandchildren.  But  to  Jacob,  Grandfather  Abraham’s 
stories  were  most  interesting.  To  him  God’s  promises  meant 
much. 

When  the  boys  were  about  fifteen  years  old,  Abraham 
died,  and  was  buried  in  the  cave  of  Machpelah,  near  Mamre, 
which  he  had  bought  at  the  time  of  the  death  of  Sarah,  his 
wife.  There  she,  too,  had  been  buried,  and  even  to-day  the 
tomb  of  Abraham  is  shown  to  travelers  to-  the  Holy  Land. 

Jacob  and  Esau  grew  up.  Esau  was  always  the  favorite 
of  his  father,  Isaac,  but  Mother  Rebekah  cared  more  for 
quiet,  thoughtful  Jacob. 

One  day  Esau  came  back  to  camp  from  a  hunting  expedi¬ 
tion,  tired  and  hungry.  As  he  came  near  the  tent  he  smelled 
a  most  appetizing  odor.  Jacob  was  preparing  pottage — a 
sort  of  soup,  made  of  lentils,  and  tasting  something  like  the 
pea  soup  which  we  have  to-day. 

“  I  am  faint  with  hunger,”  said  Esau.  “  Give  me  some  of 
that  red  pottage.” 

Now  Jacob  was  really  much  cleverer  than  Esau.  But  he 
was  not  very  kind  or  very  honorable.  If  he  had  done  right 
he  would  immediately  have  given  his  brother  the  food.  But 
instead  he  played  an  unkind  trick.  He  knew  that  Esau  never 
thought  about  anything  excepting  just  what  he  wanted  at 
the  moment.  He  took  advantage  of  his  brother’s  hunger. 

“  I  will  give  you  the  food  if  you  will  swear  that  I  shall 
have  the  birthright,”  he  said.  Of  course  he  had  no  right  to 
ask  this,  and  Esau  had  no  right  to  give  it  away,  but  the 
great,  red-haired  giant  of  a  man  did  not  think. 

“  What  good  will  the  birthright  do  me  if  I  die  of 
hunger?”  he  asked. 

“  Swear  that  I  shall  have  it,”  insisted  Jacob. 

“  Oh,  I  swear  that  you  shall  have  it!  Now  give  me  some 
of  the  red  pottage.” 

And  so,  because  Esau  was  hungry,  and  thought  only  of 
the  needs  of  the  moment,  he  gave  up  his  rights  as  an  elder 
son.  He  “  despised  the  birthright,”  the  Bible  says,  consid¬ 
ering  that  it  was  worth  less  to  him  than  a  good  meal  when 
he  was  hungry.  He  thought  only  of  himself.  He  did  not 
care  at  all  about  what  happened  in  the  future,  nor  for  God’s 


138 


JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 


promises  to  Abraham.  And  so  he  showed  that  he  was  not 
fit  to  help  in  carrying  out  the  promise  of  God  to  Abraham. 
He  lost  his  chance  to  be  the  ancestor  of  God’s  chosen 
people. 

Nor  does  Jacob  seem  to  have  been  the  kind  of  man  that 
God  would  want  Abraham’s  grandson  to  be.  But  in  one 
thing  Jacob  excelled.  He  understood  God’s  promises.  He 
felt  that  they  were  going  to  be  carried  out.  And  so,  though 
he  tried  to  obtain  the  birthright  for  himself,  instead  of  wait¬ 
ing  to  find  out  if  it  was  God’s  will  that  he  should  have  it 
and  trusting  God  to  give  it  to  him  in  his  own  way,  God 
knew  that  he  could  be  made  into  a  fit  ancestor  for  his 
chosen  people — Jacob  had  to  fight  against  his  sins,  and  to  be 
punished  for  them,  as  you  will  see,  but  after  many  years  he 
won  the  victory  over  temptation,  and  so  became  a  great  and 
good  man. 


Handwork 

Put  on  the  blackboard  in  your  best  writing  or  printing  the 
first  verse  of  the  hymn,  “  Nearer,  My  God,  to  Thee.”  Make 
as  attractive  a  decoration  for  the  hymn  as  you  possibly  can. 

Notebook  Work 

In  your  own  words  write  in  your  notebook  the  story  of 
the  lesson.  See  that  all  the  notebook  work  for  the  lessons 
so  far  is  completed,  and  finish  any  work  that  has  not  been 
done. 

Expressionae  Activity 

This  week  see  if  you  cannot  share  some  of  your  good 
things  with  some  one  who*  is  hungry,  or  who  does  not  have 
so  much  as  you  have.  Perhaps  you  can  give  a  sandwich  to 
some  one  in  school,  or,  if  you  have  candy  or  cookies,  you 
can  share  with  others.  So  you  will  show  that  you  are  not 
like  Jacob  the  selfish. 

Memory  Work 

Almost  all  of  you  are  familiar  with  the  hymn,  “  Nearer, 


JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 


139 


My  God,  to  Thee.”  If  you  do  not  know  the  words  of  the 
first  verse,  learn  them  this  week: 


“  Nearer,  my  God,  to  thee, 
Nearer  to  thee! 

E’en  though  it  be  a  cross 
That  raiseth  me ; 

Still  all  my  song  shall  be, 
Nearer,  my  God,  to  thee, 
Nearer  to  thee.” 


This  song  was  written  by  Mrs.  Sarah  Flower  Adams,  in 
1841,  and  has  been  translated  into  many  languages.  It  has 
been  the  favorite  hymn  of  many  people,  among  whom  was 
President  McKinley. 


The:  Birthright 

This  term  denotes  the  rights  or  privileges  belonging  to 
the  first-born  among  the  Hebrews.  The  particular  advan¬ 
tages  which  these  conferred  were  the  following: 

(1)  Right  to  the  priesthood.  The  first-born  became  the 
priest  in  virtue  of  his  priority  of  descent,  provided  no 
blemish  or  defect  attached  to  him. 

(2)  Double  portion.  The  first-born  received  a  double 
portion  of  his  father’s  property.  There  is  some  difficulty 
in  determining  precisely  what  is  meant  by  a  double  portion. 
Some  suppose  that  half  the  inheritance  was  received  by  the 
elder  brother,  and  that  the  other  half  was  equally  divided 
among  the  remaining  brethren.  This  is  not  probable.  The 
rabbis  believe  that  the  elder  brother  received  twice  as  much 
as  any  of  the  rest,  and  there  is  no  reason  to  doubt  the  cor¬ 
rectness  of  this  opinion.  When  the  first-born  died  before 
his  father’s  property  was  divided,  and  left  children,  the 
right  of  the  father  descended  to  the  children,  and  not  to  the 
brother  next  of  age. 

(3)  Official  authority.  He  succeeded  to  the  official  au¬ 
thority  possessed  by  his  father. 

— Popular  and  Critical  Bible  Encyclopedia. 


140 


JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 


SUNDAY  SESSION 

JACOB  RECEIVES  THE  BIRTHRIGHT 
Genesis  27 : 1-40 
The  Memory  Verse 

“  Lying  lips  are  an  abomination  to  Jehovah; 

But  they  that  deal  truly  are  his  delight.” 

— Proverbs  12  :22. 


The  Lesson  Story 

The  fact  that  Esau  had  promised  to  Jacob  the  birthright 
did  not  give  it  to  him,  for  the  old  father,  Isaac,  had  that 
right  in  his  hands.  Time  passed,  and  probably  careless  Esau 
did  not  think  very  much  of  what  he  had  done,  but  Jacob  and 
his  mother,  Rebekah,  did  think  of  it. 

Isaac  was  getting  to  be  a  very  old  man,  perhaps  one  hun¬ 
dred  and  twenty  years  old.  His  eyes  were  dim,  now,  and 
he  knew  that  he  did  not  have  much  longer  to  live. 

One  day  he  spoke  to  Esau,  the  older  son.  “  My  son,”  he 
called. 

“  Here  am  I,”  Esau  answered. 

“  Behold  now,  I  am  old,”  Isaac  said.  “  I  know  not  the 
day  of  my  death.  Go  out  into  the  field  and  get  me  some  of 
the  venison  that  I  like  so  much.  Then,  when  I  have  eaten, 
I  shall  bless  thee  before  I  die.” 

Esau  obeyed  his  father.  He  started  immediately  on  the 
hunt. 

Rebekah  had  overheard  what  Isaac  had  said.  She  called 
her  favorite  son,  Jacob.  She  told  him  what  Isaac  had  said. 

“  But  I  have  a  plan  whereby  thou  mayest  have  the  bless¬ 
ing  instead  of  thy  brother,”  she  said.  “  Go  out  to  the  flock, 
and  bring  in  to  me  two  of  the  very  best  kids  that  thou  canst 
find.  I  will  cook  them  in  such  a  way  that  thy  father  will 
like  the  dish.  Thou  shalt  bring  it  to  thy  father,  that  he  may 
eat,  so  that  he  may  bless  thee  before  his  death.” 

“But  my  brother  Esau  is  a  hairy  man,  mother,”  said 
Jacob,  “  and  my  skin  is  smooth.  Perhaps  our  father  will 
touch  me,  and  I  shall  seem  to  him  a  deceiver,  so  that  he  will 
curse  me.” 


JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 


141 


“  Go  and  do  what  I  say,  my  son,'’  insisted  Rebekah,  “  and 
the  curse  shall  be  upon  me.” 

Jacob  obeyed.  He  brought  the  kids,  and  Rebekah  pre¬ 
pared  them,  making  the  dish  taste  as  much  like  venison  as 
possible.  Then  she  took  from  her  store  the  garments  which 
belonged  to  Esau  as  the  older  son,  which  she  had  carefully 
put  away  with  sweet-smelling  spices.  She  took  the  skin  of 
the  kids,  and  put  it  on  the  back  of  Jacob’s  hands  and  of  his 
neck.  Then  she  gave  him  the  food  that  she  had  prepared, 
and  Jacob  went  to  the  tent  where  his  father  was. 

“  Which  of  my  sons  art  thou?  ”  Isaac  asked. 

“  I  am  Esau,”  answered  Jacob,  lying.  “  I  have  done  as 
thou  badest  me  do.  I  pray  thee  eat  of  my  venison,  that  thy 
soul  may  bless  me.” 

“  LIow  is  it  that  thou  hast  found  the  meat  so  quickly,  my 
son  ?  ”  Isaac  asked. 

“  Because  God  helped  me,”  answered  Jacob. 

“  Come  near,  I  pray  thee,  that  I  may  feel  thee,  my  son, 
whether  thou  be  my  very  son  Esau  or  not,”  were  Isaac’s 
next  words.  He  must  have  been  suspicious. 

Jacob  went  closer  to  his  father.  The  old  man  felt  his 
arms  and  hands.  He  said  wonderingly,  “  The  voice  is 
Jacob’s  voice,  but  the  hands  are  the  hands  of  Esau.” 

Still  he  was  not  sure.  “  Art  thou  my  very  son  Esau  ?  ” 
he  asked  again.  And  Jacob  lied  again,  “  I  am.” 

At  last  Isaac  was  persuaded.  He  ate  the  food  which  Re¬ 
bekah  had  prepared,  and  then  called  Jacob  to  him.  He 
kissed  him,  and  as  he  smelled  the  odor  of  the  spices  in  the 
garments  which  Jacob  wore,  he  gave  the  birthright  blessing: 

“  See,  the  smell  of  my  son 

•  Is  as  the  smell  of  a  field  which  Jehovah  hath  blessed: 

And  God  give  thee  of  the  dew  of  heaven, 

And  of  the  fatness  of  the  earth, 

And  plenty  of  grain  and  new  wine: 

Let  peoples  serve  thee, 

And  nations  bow  down  to  thee : 

Be  lord  over  thy  brethren, 

And  let  thy  mother’s  sons  bow  down  to  thee : 

Cursed  be  every  one  that  curseth  thee, 

And  blessed  be  every  one  that  blesseth  thee.” 

That  was  a  wonderful  blessing,  was  it  not?  If  only 


142 


JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 


Jacob  had  obtained  it  honestly !  But  he  had  deceived  his 
father,  and  soon  he  was  to  begin  to  pay  for  his  deception. 
Esau  returned  from  the  hunt.  He  prepared  the  venison  and 
brought  it  to  Isaac,  and  his  father  discovered  that  he  had 
been  deceived.  How  angry  and  sorrowful  he  was,  and  how 
angry  Esau  was,  also ! 

“  Thy  brother  came  with  lies,  and  hath  taken  away  thy 
blessing,”  the  father  said. 

“  Hast  thou  not  reserved  a  blessing  for  me,  also?  ”  asked 
Esau  sorrowfully. 

“  I  have  made  thy  brother  lord,  and  have  given  him  all,” 
said  Jacob.  “  What  then  shall  I  do  for  thee,  my  son?  ” 

“Hast  thou  but  one  blessing,  my  father?  bless  me,  even 
me  also,  O  my  father.”  And  Esau  wept  aloud. 

Isaac  could  not  give  to  Esau  the  blessing  that  he  had  given 
to  Jacob,  but  he  spoke  words  of  blessing  to  his  older  son, 
and  tried  to  comfort  him : 


“  Behold,  of  the  fatness  of  the  earth  shall  be  thy  dwelling, 

And  of  the  dew  of  heaven  from  above; 

And  by  thy  sword  shalt  thou  live,  and  thou  shalt  serve  thy 
brother ; 

And  it  shall  come  to  pass,  when  thou  shalt  break  loose, 

That  thou  shalt  shake  his  yoke  from  off  thy  neck.” 


Of  course  Esau  hated  Jacob  for  what  he  had  done.  God, 
too,  was  displeased  that  Jacob  had  tried  to  take  the  birth¬ 
right  by  falsehood  and  deception.  Jacob  could  not  have  it 
in  this  way.  He  must  be  punished  for  his  sins,  until  he 
should  learn  better  things. 

Probably  the  household  in  the  encampment  of  Isaac  was 
not  happy  that  night.  Isaac  was  unhappy  because  he  had 
been  deceived.  Rebekah  was  unhappy  because  she  had  de¬ 
ceived  her  husband  and  had  been  unfair  to  her  elder  son. 
Esau  was  unhappy  because  he  had  been  cheated,  and  as  for 
Jacob — his  conscience  must  have  hurt,  as  he  wondered  what 
would  come  to  him  next. 

So  sin  brought  unhappiness  to  the  descendants  of  God’s 
faithful  servant,  Abraham.  And  it  brought  still  more  un¬ 
happiness,  as  you  will  learn  through  your  next  lessons. 


JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 


143 


Putting  the;  Lesson  Into  the:  Life  of  the  Class 

There  are  four  people  in  the  lesson  that  we  study  for  to¬ 
day :  Isaac,  Rebekah,  Jacob,  and  Esau.  Which  one  of  them 
do  you  like  best?  Jacob  and  Rebekah  deceived  Isaac  and 
cheated  Esau.  Jacob  told  lies  to  his  father.  God  hates  a 
lie.  So  do  human  beings.  Jacob  thought  that  he  had  gained 
something  good  for  himself  by  lying.  But  God  would  have 
brought  that  good  thing  to  him  in  his  own  good  time,  with¬ 
out  the  lies.  Does  it  ever  seem  to  you  that  a  lie  will  do 
good?  If  you  try  it,  you  will  find  that  you  are  wrong.  A 
lie  is  never  justifiable. 

Lies  which  on  the  surface  seem  to  harm  no  one,  are  some¬ 
times  called  “  white  lies.”  But  even  if  a  lie  does  not  seem 
to  harm  anyone  else,  it  always  harms  the  person  who  tells 
it.  It  makes  it  easier  for  him  to  tell  the  next  lie,  and  the 
next,  and  the  next,  until  at  last  he  tells  a  lie  that  does  harm 
some  one  else,  as  well  as  himself. 

White  Naughtiness 

“  A  little  white  lie  came  tiptoeing  by, 

Whispering,  ‘  Almost  true  !  ’ 

But  it  spoiled,  so  they  say, 

A  little  boy’s  day ; 

And  his  honor  was  stained  by  it,  too — 

Oh,  yes  ! 

Such  harm  can  a  white  lie  do.” 

Teie  Lesson  Truth  in  Your  Life 

God  hates  lies,  and  sometimes  the  Devil  is  called  “  the 
father  of  lies.”  It  is  pleasing  to  God  and  more  honorable 
to  men  to  keep  my  tongue  from  lying,  and  to  tell  the  truth 
always. 


EXPRESSION AL  SESSION 

OUR  BIRTHRIGHTS 
Romans  8:14-17 

Suggestions  for  the  Leader's  Opening  Address 
In  our  lesson  about  Jacob  and  Esau  we  have  learned  how 


144 


JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 


Esau  “  despised  ”  his  birthright,  and  sold  it  for  a  mess  of 
pottage.  We  Juniors  of  to-day  have  a  birthright  as  well  as 
Esau  had,  though  the  birthright  does  not  mean  the  same  to 
a  Christian  American  Junior  as  it  did  to  Esau  in  the  days  of 
the  past.  But  we  all  of  us  are  born  equal,  as  the  Declara¬ 
tion  of  Independence  says :  we  all  have  the  same  inheritance 
of  glorious  memories  from  those  great  men  who  founded 
our  government.  We  all  have  the  opportunities  of  school. 
We  all  have  the  opportunity  to  be  honest  and  truthful. 
When  we  grow  up  we  all  shall  have  the  opportunity  of  vot¬ 
ing  and  helping  to  govern  our  great  country.  Best  of  all, 
we  have  the  birthright  of  a  knowledge  of  God  and  of  Christ, 
and  of  the  Bible.  All  these  things  can  belong  to  all  of  us. 
Some  of  us  may  “  despise  ”  them,  and  give  them  up  in  ex¬ 
change  for  a  trifle,  as  Esau  gave  up  his  birthright;  we  may 
give  up  our  right  to  learn  the  lessons  which  are  given  us  in 
school,  for  instance,  because  we  are  idle,  and  would  rather 
play  than  study.  We  may  give  up  our  birthright  of  honor, 
if  we  cheat  in  an  examination,  exchanging  a  good  conscience 
for  a  good  mark  in  a  test — a  poor  exchange,  indeed.  Let  us 
try  to  be  worthy  of  our  birthright  as  Christian  American 
Juniors,  and  try  to  appreciate  it  as  we  should. 

The  Class  Prayer 

Our  Father  in  heaven,  we  want  to  keep  our  inheritance 
honorable  as  we  received  it  from  those  who  made  our  coun¬ 
try  what  it  is,  and  who  established  our  government  in  thy 
name.  We  want  to  appreciate  our  birthright  as  Christian 
American  Juniors,  and  thus  to  show  honor  to  thee.  We  ask 
thy  help  in  Jesus’  name.  Amen. 

Verses  for  Use  in  the  Meeting 

Romans  8:17;  Galatians  3:29;  Ephesians  3:6;  Titus 
3  :6,  7  ;  James  2  :5. 

Hymns  for  Use  in  the  Meeting 

“  Children  of  the  Heavenly  King.” 

“  The  Son  of  God  Goes  Forth  to  War.” 

“  My  Soul  Be  on  Thy  Guard.” 

“  Keep  Thou  the  Door  of  My  Lips.” 


JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 


145 


“  Lead  Us,  Heavenly  Father.’’ 

“  Brave  Hearts,  True  Hearts.” 

Questions  for  Use  in  the  Meeting 

1.  What  was  a  “  birthright  ”  in  Bible  times? 

2.  If  you  cheat  in  a  school  examination,  how  are  you 
despising  your  birthright  ? 

3.  If  you  neglect  your  work  in  school  because  you  are 
lazy,  or  want  tO'  play,  how  are  you  despising  your  birth¬ 
right  ? 

4.  If  you  do  not  vote,  when  you  grow  up,  how  are  you 
despising  your  birthright? 

5.  If  you  do  not  go  regularly  to  church  and  to  Sunday 
school,  how  are  you  despising  your  birthright? 

Topics  for  Discussion  or  Reports 

4 

1.  The  Birthright  in  Bible  Times. 

2.  The  Birthright  of  a  Christian  American  Junior. 

3.  Our  Birthright  as  a  Nation. 

4.  How  Adam  and  Eve  Despised  Their  Birthright  as 
God’s  Children. 

To  Read  During  the  Lesson 

Many  times  we  read  in  the  Bible  of  those  who-  sold  their 
birthright  for  something  of  little  value.  We  are  so  apt  to 
give  up  what  is  really  valuable  for  something  that  is  of 
little  worth.  Adam  and  Eve  gave  up  their  inheritance  in 
exchange  for  fruit.  Lot's  wife  gave  up  her  life  and  became 
a  pillar  of  salt  in  exchange  for  a  look  back  at  Sodom. 
Ahab  committed  murder  for  a  pretty  garden.  Joseph’s 
brothers  sold  him  for  twenty  pieces  of  silver — and  Judas 
betrayed  Jesus  for  thirty  pieces  of  silver.  All  these  people 
sold  their  inheritance  in  exchange  for  “  a  mess  of  pottage,” 
- — gave  up  something  of  value  for  something  that  was  of 
very  little  value. 

John  Bunyan  has  told  us  that  in  his  hours  of  temptation, 
he  used  to  hear  a  whisper,  “  Sell  Christ  for  a  pin,  sell  him 
for  a  pin !  ” 

“  A  ship  was  sinking,  and  as  the  last  boat  was  being 
loaded,  the  mate  said  that  he  was  going  to  get  his  purse. 


146 


JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 


The  captain  expostulated,  but  the  mate  insisted.  As  he  was 
gone  on  his  errand,  the  ship  went  down.  By  and  by  they 
found  the  dead  body  of  the  mate,  his  stiffened  hand  tightly 
grasping  the  fatal  purse.  And  when  they  opened  it,  they 
found  in  it — only  thirty-six  cents !  ” 

“  Our  fathers  were  high-minded  men, 

Who  firmly  kept  the  faith  ; 

To  freedom  and  to  conscience  true, 

In  danger  and  in  death  ; 

Great  names  had  they,  but  greater  souls, 

True  heroes  of  their  age, 

Who  like  a  rock  in  stormy  seas, 

Defied  opposing  rage. 

“  For  all  they  suffered,  little  cared 
Those  earnest  men  and  wise; 

Their  zeal  for  Christ,  their  love  of  truth, 

Made  them  the  shame  despise; 

Nor  should  their  deeds  be  e’er  forgot, 

For  noble  men  were  they, 

Who  struggled  hard  for  sacred  rights, 

And  bravely  won  the  day. 

“As  faithful  as  our  fathers  were, 

May  we,  their  children,  be; 

And  in  our  hearts  their  spirit  live, 

That  gained  our  liberty. 

God  help  us  all  to  do  and  dare 
Whatever  can  be  done, 

Till  for  the  cause  of  good  and  truth 
The  victory  shall  be  won.” 

“My  Father  is  rich  in  houses  and  lands; 

He  holdeth  the  wealth  of  the  world  in  his  hands ! 

Of  rubies  and  diamonds,  of  silver  and  gold, 

His  coffers  are  full — he  has  riches  untold! 

“I’m  the  child  of  a  King! 

The  child  of  a  King! 

With  Jesus,  my  Saviour, 

I’m  the  child  of  a  King !  ” 


STORIES  OF  THREE  PATRIARCHS  (Continued) 


CHAPTER  XV 

WEEK  DAY  SESSION 

THE  FIRST  RESULT  OF  JACOB’S  SIN 
Genesis  27 :41  to  28  :9 

The  Memory  Verse 

“  Hatred  stirreth  up  strifes; 

But  love  ccvereth  all  transgressions.” 

— Proverbs  10:12. 

The  Lesson  Story 

It  must  have  been  very  uncomfortable  in  the  home  of 
Isaac  and  Rebekah  after  Jacob  had  deceived  his  father  and 
tried  to  cheat  his  brother.  No  home  can  be  really  happy 
where  there  is  deception.  No  home  can  be  happy  where 
mother  and  father  and  brothers  quarrel  and  try  to  get  the 
better  of  one  another. 

Jacob  soon  found  that  nothing  which  is  really  good  can  be 
obtained  by  wrongdoing.  The  way  to  get  the  birthright 
blessing  was  not  by  lying  and  cheating. 

“  Your  brother  Esau  hates  you,  and  is  planning  to  kill 
you,”  Rebekah  said  to  him  one  day.  “  I  think  that  it  will  be 
best  for  you  to  go  away  from  home  for  a  while.  He  will  not 
do  you  any  harm  until  your  father  dies,  but  then  ” — and  she 
must  have  shuddered  as  she  thought  of  a  quarrel  between 
strong,  hot-tempered  Esau,  and  quiet,  home-loving  Jacob. 

Rebekah  was  very  clever.  She  always  knew  just  how  to 
get  her  own  way.  She  went  to  her  husband.  She  did  not 
tell  him  that  she  was  afraid  that  Esau  would  kill  Jacob. 

“  I  do  not  want  Jacob  to  marry  one  of  these  heathen 
women  who  live  near  us,”  she  said.  “  Let  him  go  to  the 
home  of  my  brother  Laban,  in  Paddan-aram,  and  find  a 
wife  there.” 

You  remember  that  Abraham  had  sent  his  servant  to  the 
home  of  his  brother  in  Haran  to  find  a  wife  for  Isaac.  And 


149 


150 


JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 


Isaac  agreed  with  Rebekah  that  it  was  best  for  Jacob  to  do 
as  he  had  done.  He  called  him  to  his  side.  He  blessed  him 
and  sent  him  on  his  errand,  telling-  him  to  choose  a  wife 
from  among  the  followers  of  the  true  God. 

But  as  Jacob  set  out  from  home,  he  knew  that  he  was 
going  for  a  very  different  reason.  He  knew  that  he  was 
fleeing  for  his  life,  trying  to  escape  his  brother’s  anger.  He 
was  suffering  from  the  first  result  of  his  sin.  He  had  to 
leave  his  comfortable  tent  home.  He  did  not  know  whether 
or  not  he  would  ever  see  his  mother  and  his  father  again. 
He  would  have  to  work  hard  for  many  years  in  Haran.  It 
must  have  seemed  to  him  as  he  set  out  on  his  journey  that 
he  was  not  to  receive  the  birthright  blessing,  that  God  was 
taking  it  from  him,  rather  than  giving  it  to  him. 

Perhaps  his  conscience  hurt  him,  too,  for  Jacob  had  many 
good  qualities  as  well  as  the  bad  qualities  that  he  had  shown. 
At  any  rate,  as  he  left  home,  he  must  have  felt  unhappy  and 
dissatisfied  about  -what  he  had  done  in  trying  to  gain  the 
birthright  for  himself,  rather  than  in  waiting  for  God’s  pur¬ 
pose  to  be  carried  out. 

As  for  Esau,  he,  too,  must  have  been  unhappy.  He  had 
done  wrong,  also.  He  had  been  careless  and  wicked,  and  his 
act  had  caused  his  brother  to  go  away  from  home.  And 
Rebekah  and  Isaac,  too,  must  have  been  unhappy.  Instead 
of  peace  and  joy  in  the  encampment  of  God’s  people,  there 
was  sorrow  and  unhappiness,  because  of  the  sin  of  those 
who  should  have  known  better  than  to  do  the  wrong  which 
they  had  done. 


Notebook  Work 

Continue  the  story  of  Jacob  and  Esau,  which  you  began 
last  week  in  your  notebook.  Pretend  that  you  are  Esau,  and 
write  a  short  account  of  what  he  thought. 

Map  Work 

At  the  time  of  this  lesson,  the  tents  of  Isaac  and  Rebekah 
were  in  Beer-sheba.  Draw  on  the  blackboard  a  map  of  the 
country  between  Haran  and  Beer-sheba.  The  distance  be¬ 
tween  the  two  places  was  about  five  hundred  miles. 


JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 


151 


Expressionae  Activity 

Try  this  week  to  live  happily  with  your  brothers  and 
sisters  and  schoolmates.  Be  sure  not  to  quarrel  with  anyone, 
particularly  if  there  is  any  way  in  which  you  are  to  blame. 

Memory  Work 

Learn  this  week  the  second  verse  of  the  hymn,  “  Nearer, 
My  God,  to  Thee,”  which  you  began  last  week. 

“  Though  like  the  wanderer, 

The  sun  gone  down, 

Darkness  be  over  me, 

My  rest  a  stone ; 

Yet  in  my  dreams  I’d  be 
Nearer,  my  God,  to  thee, 

Nearer  to  thee!” 

Is  a  Junior  Ever  Like  Jacob? 

It  was  right  for  Jacob  to  want  God’s  blessing.  It  is  right 
for  boys  and  girls  to  want  good  marks  in  their  school  work. 
It  is  right  for  them  to  try  to  get  such  marks.  But — there  is 
a  right  way  and  a  wrong  way  of  trying  to  get  what  we  want. 

It  is  wrong  to  try  to  get  a  good  mark  by  cheating. 

It  is  wrong  to  try  to  get  a  good  mark  by  copying  the  work 
of  some  one  else. 

It  is  right  to  try  to  get  a  good  mark  by  studying  hard  and 
doing  as  well  as  you  can  the  work  given  to  you  to  do  by  your 
teacher. 

It  is  right  to  try  to  get  a  good  mark  by  being  attentive 
and  studious  in  class. 

It  is  right  to  try  to  get  a  good  mark  by  making  all  your 
papers  just  as  neat  and  complete  as  possible. 

Jacob  was  right  in  wanting  God’s  blessing,  but  he  was 
wrong  in  the  way  he  tried  to  get  it.  He  should  have  worked 
and  prayed  and  tried  to  do  his  very  best  in  his  life.  Then 
God  would  have  given  him  the  birthright  just  the  same,  but 
he  would  not  have  had  to  feel  his  brother’s  hatred.  He 
would  not  have  had  to  leave  his  home,  which  he  loved  so 
much,  and  live  for  many  years  in  a  strange  land. 

So  you,  too,  will  hnd  that  it  is  the  happiest  thing  to 

“  Do  your  duty.  That  is  best. 

Leave  unto  the  Lord  the  rest.” 


152 


JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 


You  will  find  that  honesty,  fairness,  generosity  will  pay  in 
the  end  in  our  lives  as  well  as  they  would  have  paid  in 
Jacob’s  life. 


SUNDAY  SESSION 

JACOB’S  VISION  OF  A  LADDER  TO  HEAVEN 

Genesis  28:10-22 
The:  Memory  Verse 

“  And,  behold,  I  am  with  thee,  and  will  keep  thee  whither¬ 
soever  thou  goest.” — Genesis  28:15a. 

The  Lesson  Story 

Jacob  toiled  along  the  weary  way  to  Haran.  He  was 
alone,  and  the  road  was  rough  and  lonely.  For  several  days 
he  had  been  walking  on  and  on  and  on,  and  he  was  feeling 
more  and  more  sorry  for  what  he  had  done.  As  a  boy  and 
as  a  man  Jacob  had  always  loved  his  home.  He  loved  his 
mother,  and,  though  he  had  deceived  his  father,  he  loved  him, 
too.  He  was  homesick  and  tired  and  he  must  have  felt  that 
he  was  being  punished  for  his  sins.  Perhaps  his  mother, 
Rebekah,  had  told  him  when  he  was  a  little  boy  of  the  way 
in  which  his  grandfather  Abraham  had  sent  his  head  servant 
with  ten  camels  and  attendants,  when  he  had  sought  her  as  a 
wife  for  Isaac.  Perhaps  Jacob  felt  that  when  he  went  to 
seek  a  wife,  he,  too,  should  have  been  riding  along  attended 
by  servants  and  camels,  instead  of  walking  wearily  along, 
alone,  really  a  fugitive  running  away  from  home,  instead  of 
the  son  of  a  rich  man,  going  to  seek  a  wife. 

One  night  as  the  sun  went  down  in  the  west,  he  found 
himself  in  a  strange  place  called  Luz.  There  were  no  houses 
or  tents  near  by  where  he  might  ask  for  a  night’s  shelter — 
nothing  but  rocks  and  stones  and  wild,  unsettled  country. 
He  was  so  tired  from  his  journey  that  he  did  not  take  time 
to  make  a  camp  for  the  night.  He  just  lay  down  on  the 
ground  with  a  large  stone  as  a  pillow.  And  there  he  fell 
asleep,  worn  out  with  the  things  that  had  happened  to  him 
during  the  day. 


Copyrighted  by  Harold  Copping 

JACOB'S  VOW 


Harold  Copping 


JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 


153 


But  as  Jacob  slept  in  this  uncomfortable  bed,  he  dreamed 
a  wonderful  dream.  It  seemed  to  him  that  a  ladder  extend¬ 
ing  from  earth  to  heaven  had  been  set  up.  Angels  of  God 
were  ascending  and  descending  the  ladder.  But  most  won¬ 
derful  of  all,  the  Lord  himself  stood  at  the  top  of  the  ladder, 
and  he  spoke  words  of  comfort  to  Jacob!  Even  though 
Jacob  had  been  wicked  and  unkind,  God  was  willing  to  for¬ 
give  him  and  fulfill  through  him  the  promise  that  had  been 
made  to  Abraham.  He  would  be  the  God  of  Jacob,  as  he 
had  been  the  God  of  Abraham  and  Isaac,  and  though  his 
words  showed  that  Jacob  would  have  to  wander  far  from 
home  and  be  punished,  God  promised  to  be  with  him  always ; 
he  promised,  also,  that  Jacob  should  return  to  his  own  land 
from  which  he  was  now  going  out  as  an  exile. 

How  do  you  suppose  that  Jacob  must  have  felt  when  he 
wakened  from  his  sleep?  He  knew  that  God  had  spoken  to 
him  in  this  dream,  and  he  was  filled  with  fear  and  reverence 
as  he  said,  “  Surely  Jehovah  is  in  this  place;  and  I  knew  it 
not/’  He  was  afraid  as  he  thought  of  his  own  sins.  He 
felt  that  the  place  was  the  gate  of  heaven,  where  God  had 
spoken  to  him,  and  he  was  filled  with  reverence. 

When  he  woke  in  the  morning  he  took  the  stone  that  he 
had  used  as  a  pillow  and  set  it  up  for  a  pillar ;  that  is,  he 
made  it  a  sort  of  altar.  Then  he  took  from  his  store  of  sup¬ 
plies  a  little  cruse  of  oil.  He  poured  the  oil  upon  the  stone, 
as  the  custom  was,  and  vowed  a  vow,  that  if  God  would  bless 
him  and  care  for  him,  he  would  worship  God,  the  Lord,  and 
be  his  follower. 

The  name  of  the  place  where  Jacob  rested  that  night  under 
the  stars  had  been  Luz,  but  he  gave  it  a  new  name,  “  Bethel,” 
the  house  of  God,  because  there  he  had  come  first  to  know 
God  really  and  to  begin  to  understand  what  God  wanted  him 
to  do.  Jacob  would  need  much  training  before  he  was 
worthy  to  receive  the  fulfillment  of  God’s  promise,  but  the 
time  would  come  when  he  had  learned  his  lesson  and  had 
become  God’s  true  worshiper. 

Putting  the  Lesson  Into  the  Liee  oe  the  Class 

God’s  followers  have  to  be  trained  before  they  understand 
what  he  wants  them  to  do,  and  are  willing  to  do  it.  Jacob 
had  to  learn  many  lessons  before  he  was  worthy  to  be  the 


154 


JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 


ancestor  of  God’s  chosen  people,  and  so  does  everyone  else 
in  the  world. 

Even  when  we  have  sinned,  God  is  with  us,  watching  over 
us,  willing  to  help  us  when  we  are  ready  to  receive  his  help. 

Jacob  saw  in  his  dream  a  ladder  which  reached  up  to 
heaven,  where  angels  descended  and  ascended,  carrying 
God’s  messages  to  the  people  of  the  world.  Charles  Wesley 
has  written  a  hymn  in  which  he  says  that  Jesus,  our  Lord 
and  Saviour,  is  the  Ladder  which  reaches  between  man  and 
heaven. 


Jesus  that  Ladder  is, 

Th'  incarnate  Deity, 

Partaking  of  celestial  bliss 
And  human  misery. 

Sent  from  his  high  abode, 

To  sleeping  mortals  given, 

He  stands  and  man  unites  to  God, 

And  earth  connects  to  heaven. 

Memory  Work 

Learn  the  last  verses  of  “  Nearer,  my  God,  to  Thee.” 

“  There  let  the  way  appear, 

Steps  unto  heaven  : 

All  that  thou  send’st  to  me 
In  mercy  given : 

Angels  to  beckon  me 
Nearer,  my  God,  to  thee, 

Nearer  to  thee! 

“  Then,  with  my  waking  thoughts 
Bright  with  thy  praise, 

Out  of  my  stony  griefs 
Bethel  I’ll  raise ; 

So  bv  my  woes  to  be 
Nearer,  my  God,  to  thee, 

Nearer  to  thee ! 

“Or  if  on  joyful  wing 
Cleaving  the  sky, 

Sun,  moon  and  stars  forgot, 

Upwards  I  fly, 

Still  all  my  song  shall  be, 

Nearer,  my  God,  to  thee, 

Nearer  to  thee  !  ” 


JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 


155 


“  Nearer,  My  God,  to  Thee” 

Your  Memory  Work  during  the  past  two  weeks  has  been 
the  hymn,  “  Nearer,  My  God,  to  Thee.”  Now  that  you  have 
studied  the  lesson  about  “  Jacob’s  Vision  of  a  Ladder  to 
Heaven,”  the  meaning  of  the  song  should  be  clearer  to  you. 
Read  the  hymn  once  more,  and  then  look  especially  at  the 
second,  third,  and  fourth  verses.  See  in  how  many  ways 
our  lesson  about  Jacob  is  touched  upon.  “  My  rest  a  stone  ” 
refers  to  him,  as  does  the  reference  to  the  ladder  which  he 
saw,  and  the  angels,  referred  to  in  verse  3.  In  the  fourth 
verse,  the  lines 


“  Out  of  my  stony  griefs 
Bethel  I’ll  raise,” 

means  that  even  in  the  midst  of  trouble  and  sorrow  it  is 
possible  to  know  that  God  is  caring  for  us  and  to  give  thanks 
to  him  for  his  goodness  and  kindness. 

In  telling  of  this  hymn  Dr.  Louis  F.  Benson  says: 

“  It  is  likely  that  this  hymn  will  always  be  associated  with 
the  tragic  death  of  President  McKinley.  The  last  words  of 
the  President,  as  reported  by  the  attendant  physician,  were : 
‘  “  Nearer,  my  God,  to  thee,  E’en  though  it  be  a  cross,”  has 
been  my  constant  prayer.’  It  is  not  unnatural  that  the 
grieved  heart  of  the  American  people  was  deeply  touched  by 
such  allusion  under  such  circumstances.  The  hymn  was 
sung  in  hundreds  of  churches  over  the  country  on  the  Sun¬ 
day  following,  and  in  memorial  gatherings  of  every  sort. 
One  heard  the  familiar  strains  of  the  tune  from  strong- 
lunged  bands  of  itinerant  musicians  in  city  streets,  the  street 
children  and  their  elders  often  gathering  about  the  perform¬ 
ers,  and  perhaps  joining  in  the  hymn.  On  the  day  of  the 
burial  at  Canton,  Thursday,  September  19th,  1901,  all  traffic 
in  the  cities  stopped,  by  previous  arrangement,  at  half  past 
three  o’clock,  and  for  five  minutes  there  was  silence.  People 
in  the  trolley  cars  rose  and  those  in  the  streets  bared  their 
heads  and  stood,  often  joining  in  singing  the  words  of  the 
hymn.  In  Union  and  Madison  Squares,  New  York  City, 
immense  throngs  had  assembled,  and  after  the  period  of 
silence,  bands  played  ‘  Nearer,  My  God,  to  Thee,’  and  then 
‘  Lead,  Kindly  Light,’  a  favorite  hymn  of  the  dead  Presi- 


156 


JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 


dent,  during  which  every  head  in  the  throng  remained  un¬ 
covered.  The  whole  occasion  was  remarkable  as  a  demon¬ 
stration  of  popular  feeling  in  which  reverence  seemed  to 
have  a  share.  Has  any  other  hymn  ever  received  such 
popular  recognition  ?  ” 

Some  Bible  Dreams  and  Visions 

On  a  separate  page  of  your  notebook  write  something 
about  Bible  dreams.  You  will  find  some  of  these  by  looking 
up  the  following  references: 

Genesis  31:24  (Laban). 

Genesis  3/  :5-10  (Joseph). 

Genesis  40:7,  8  (Pharaoh’s  Officers). 

Genesis,  chapter  41  (Pharaoh). 

Genesis  46:2-4  (Jacob). 

Judges  7:13  (Gideon’s  Enemy). 

1  Kings  3:5-15  (Solomon). 

Daniel  2:1-13,  36,  37  (Nebuchadnezzar). 

Matthew  2:13.  19-22  (Joseph,  the  Husband  of  Mary). 

Matthew  27:19  (Pilate’s  Wife). 

Acts  9:10-12  (Ananias). 

Acts  16:9;  23:11  (Paul). 

The  Lesson  Truth  in  Your  Life 

God  is  always  near  to  his  people  of  the  world.  No  matter 
how  far  from  him  you  think  that  you  are,  he  is  close  by;  he 
will  hear  your  slightest  whisper  if  you  call  to  him.  He 
watches  always  over  his  children  everywhere. 


EXPRESSIONAL  SESSION 

OUR  WAY  TO  HEAVEN 
John  14  :l-6 

Suggestions  for  the  Leader’s  Opening  Address 

As  Jacob  slept  that  night  at  Bethel  under  the  stars,  he  saw 
a  ladder  which  seemed  to  reach  from  earth  to  heaven.  God 
was  above  the  ladder,  and  angels  ascended  and  descended  it, 
bearing  his  messages  to  the  world. 


JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 


157 


We  who  have  lived  since  the  days  of  Jesus  have  a  better 
knowledge  of  the  way  to  heaven  than  Jacob  had,  for  Jesus 
himself  has  told  us,  “  I  am  the  way,  and  the  truth,  and  the 
life:  no  one  cometh  unto  the  Father,  but  by  me.”  In  talking 
to  one  of  the  first  disciples  who  came  to  him  (  John  1:51),  he 
promised  him,  “  Verily,  verily,  I  say  unto  you,  Ye  shall  see 
the  heaven  opened,  and  the  angels  of  God  ascending  and 
descending  upon  the  Son  of  man.”  In  these  words  he  re¬ 
ferred  to  the  ladder  of  Jacob.  Do  you  not  think  that  we 
who  know  this  better  way  to  heaven  should  follow  the  ex¬ 
ample  which  Jesus  has  set  before  us? 

The  Class  Prayer 

Our  Father  in  heaven,  we  thank  thee  that  thou  hast  sent 
thy  Son,  Jesus  Christ,  who  is  the  Way,  and  the  Truth,  and 
the  Life.  Help  us  to  be  like  him,  and  to  do  those  things  that 
he  would  have  us  do.  We  ask  for  his  sake.  Amen. 

Verses  for  Use  in  the  Meeting 

Genesis  28:12,  13;  Exodus  33:13;  John  1:51;  Proverbs 
3:13,  17;  4:18;  Acts  1.6:17;  18 :26 ;  Hebrews  10:19,  20. 

Hymns  that  May  Be  Used  in  Connection 
with  the  Meeting 

“  O  God  of  Bethel.” 

“  Nearer,  My  God,  to  Thee.” 

“  How  Strong  and  Sweet  My  Father’s  Care.” 

“  Night  and  Day.” 


Questions  for  Use  in  the  Meeting 

1.  Where  was  Jacob  at  the  time  when  the  vision  of  the 
ladder  to  heaven  appeared  to  him  ? 

2.  Tell  what  you  can  of  what  the  vision  of  the  ladder  to 
heaven  meant  to  Jacob. 

3.  When  did  Jesus  tell  his  disciples  that  he  was  the  Way, 
and  the  Truth,  and  the  Life? 

4.  The  early  Christians  were  called  followers  of  “  the 
Way.”  Why  do  you  think  that  this  was  so?  Acts  24  :14. 

5.  Do  you  follow  “  the  Way  ”  in  your  everyday  life? 


158 


JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 


6.  Are  you  trying  to  do  as  God  would  have  you  do ;  that 
is,  follow  the  example  of  Jesus  in  all  that  you  do  and  say? 

Topics  for  Discussion  or  Reports 

1.  The  Hymn,  “  Nearer,  My  God,  to  Thee.” 

2.  Jacob’s  Way  to  Heaven,  and  Our  Way. 

3.  How  We  “  Climb  the  Steep  Ascent  of  Heaven.” 

4.  Following  Jesus  Day  by  Day. 

To  Be  Read  During  the  Meeting 

“  Heaven  is  not  reached  at  a  single  bound, 

But  we  build  the  ladder  by  which  we  rise 
From  the  lowly  earth  to  the  vaulted  skies, 

And  we  mount  to  its  summit,  round  by  round.” 

“Around  your  lifetime  golden  ladders  rise; 

And  up  and  down  the  skies, 

With  winged  sandals  shod, 

The  angels  come  and  go,  the  messengers  of  God.” 

Jesus  told  his  disciples  that  he  was  going  to  the  heavenly 
home,  where  he  would  prepare  a  place  for  them.  He  is  the 
Way  which  we  must  follow  if  we  would  reach  the  place 
prepared  for  us. 

“A  noble  army,  men  and  boys, 

The  matron  and  the  maid, 

Around  the  Saviour’s  throne  rejoice, 

In  robes  of  light  arrayed: 

They  climbed  the  steep  ascent  of  heaven 
Through  peril,  toil,  and  pain  : 

O  God,  to  us  may  grace  be  given 
To  follow  in  their  train.” 


CHAPTER  XVI 

WEEK  DAY  SESSION 

JACOB  IN  HARAN 
Genesis  29:1-12;  31  : 1-3,  48-55 
The  Memory  Verse 

“  And  Jehovah  said  unto  Jacob,  Return  unto  the  land  of 
thy  fathers,  and  to  thy  kindred  ;  and  I  will  be  with  thee.” 

■ — Genesis  31  :3. 


The  Lesson  Story 

As  Jacob  journeyed  on  toward  Paddan-aram,  he  must 
have  felt  happier  than  he  had  been  before  he  had  seen  the 
vision  of  the  ladder  to  heaven,  and  had  heard  God’s  promise. 
He  must  have  felt  that  God  was  ready  to  forgive  him,  even 
although  he  had  sinned. 

He  journeyed  on  and  on,  going  on  foot  over  the  way  which 
Eliezer,  his  grandfather’s  servant,  had  gone  years  before, 
with  attendants  riding  on  camels,  and  with  gifts  and  jewels 
for  the  bride  whom  he  was  seeking  for  his  master’s  son 
Isaac,  who  was  Jacob’s  father.  The  journey  was  long,  for 
the  distance  from  Beer-sheba  to  Haran  is  about  five  hundred 
miles,  but  at  last  Jacob  came  near  to  Haran.  And  there, 
outside  the  city,  in  a  field,  was  a  well,  which  supplied  water 
for  the  great  flocks  of  sheep  and  other  animals  belonging  to 
the  rich  men  of  the  neighborhood. 

Jacob  spoke  to  the  shepherds  in  charge  of  the  flocks  gath¬ 
ered  around  the  well  to  be  watered.  He  asked  them  whether 
they  knew  his  uncle,  Laban,  the  son  of  Nahor,  and  when  they 
said  that  they  knew  him,  Jacob  inquired  about  his  health  and 
that  of  his  family. 

As  they  talked  there  together  Rachel,  the  daughter  of 
Laban,  came  to  the  well,  to  water  her  father’s  sheep.  She 
was  a  beautiful  girl,  and  when  Jacob  saw  her  he  knew  at 
once  that  he  loved  her,  and  he  wanted  to  make  her  his  wife. 


160 


JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 


“  Let  me  roll  away  the  stone  from  the  well  for  you,”  he 
said  to  her.  Then  he  helped  her  to  water  the  sheep.’  He 
told  her  who  he  was  and  she  ran  quickly  to  her  father  to 
tell  him  that  her  cousin  Jacob  had  come. 

There  was  great  rejoicing  in  the  home  of  Laban  at  Jacob’s 
arrival.  Jacob  made  known  to  his  uncle  the  fact  that  he  had 
come  from  his  home  in  order  to  seek  a  wife.  He  asked  for 
Rachel. 

But  Jacob  did  not  bring  presents  to  Laban,  as  Abraham’s 
servant  had  done  when  he  came  to  seek  a  wife  for  Isaac, 
Jacob’s  father.  You  remember  how  the  servant  had  given 
great  gifts  ;  how  Rebekah  had  returned  immediately  with  him 
to  the  home  of  Abraham.  Jacob  was  traveling  alone ;  he 
brought  no  presents.  So,  according  to  the  custom  of  those 
days,  he  offered  to  serve  Laban  for  seven  years,  in  order  to 
win  Rachel.  He  loved  her  very  dearly,  you  see.  Laban  ac¬ 
cepted  the  offer,  and  “  Jacob  served  seven  years  for  Rachel; 
and  they  seemed  unto  him  but  a  few  days,  for  the  love  he 
had  to  her.” 

And  then  at  the  end  of  the  seven  years,  Laban  showed  that 
he  wasn’t  fair!  He  told  Jacob  that  his  older  daughter,  Leah, 
was  still  unmarried.  She  must  be  married  first,  before  her 
younger  sister!  So  Jacob  married  Leah,  the  older,  and  then 
he  served  his  uncle  another  seven  years  for  Rachel,  the 
younger  sister. 

In  those  days  it  was  the  custom  for  a  man  to  have  several 
wives  and,  strange  as  it  may  seem  to  us,  Jacob  was  just  fol¬ 
lowing  the  custom  of  the  times  in  marrying  Leah  and  Rachel. 
But  always,  as  long  as  he  lived,  he  loved  Rachel  best.  For 
six  years  more  Jacob  stayed  in  Haran.  During  that  time  he 
grew  rich  in  cattle  and  in  sheep.  He  had  eleven  sons  and 
one  daughter. 

And  then  a  quarrel  arose  between  Jacob  and  his  uncle  and 
cousins,  Laban’s  sons.  Things  were  not  pleasant  in  Haran. 

But  God  was  still  watching  over  Jacob.  God  knew  that  he 
had  been  punished  for  his  sin  by  his  twenty  years  of  hard 
work  in  Haran.  He  had  learned  many  lessons  in  that  time. 
God  spoke  to  Jacob  once  more.  “  Return  unto  the  land  of 
thy  fathers,  and  to  thy  kindred,”  he  said ;  “  and  I  will  be 
with  thee.”  Once  more,  you  see,  God  showed  that  he  loved 
Jacob  and  was  watching  over  him. 


JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 


161 


Quickly  Jacob  called  Leah  and  Rachel.  He  told  them  to 
get  ready  for  a  journey.  He  set  the  women  and  children  of 
his  family  on  camelback.  Quietly,  without  letting  Laban 
know  about  their  plans,  they  started  out,  and  crossed  over 
the  Euphrates  River,  going  toward  the  homeland. 

Laban  had  been  away  from  home,  at  a  sheepshearing.  It 
was  three  days  before  he  knew  that  Jacob  had  left  Haran. 
When  he  heard  that  Jacob  had  gone,  he  followed  after  him. 
Perhaps  he  would  have  harmed  his  son-in-law,  but  God 
spoke  to  him  in  a  dream,  telling  him  to  take  heed  of  what  he 
did  to  Jacob.  So  when  he  caught  up  to  Jacob’s  caravan,  they 
did  not  quarrel.  They  made  a  covenant  and  set  up  a  pile  of 
stones  as  a  sign.  They  called  the  place  Mizpah,  for  Laban 
said  there  as  he  parted  from  Jacob,  and  his  daughters,  “  Je¬ 
hovah  watch  between  me  and  thee,  when  we  are  absent  one 
from  another.” 

So  Jacob  set  out  for  the  homeland,  knowing  that  God’s 
blessing  was  with  him.  He  must  have  felt  that  he  had  been 
punished  for  his  sin,  but  that  God  had  forgiven  him. 

Handwork 

On  the  sand  table  make  a  pile  of  stones,  such  as  Jacob  and 
Laban  made  at  Mizpah.  Letter  a  card  with  the  words  of  the 
Mizpah  Benediction.  Make  it  as  attractive  as  possible. 


Notebook  Work 

Write  in  your  notebook  the  names  of  the  eleven  sons  of 
Jacob,  born  before  he  left  Haran.  They  are  as  follows: 


1.  Reuben 

2.  Simeon 

3.  Levi 

4.  Judah 


5.  Issachar 

6.  Zebulun 

7.  Dan 

8.  Naphtali 


9.  Gad 

10.  Asher 

11.  Joseph 


Benjamin,  the  twelfth  and  youngest  son,  was  born  later. 
The  daughter  was  named  Dinah. 


Expressional  Activity 

Jacob  worked  hard  for  many  years  because  he  loved 
Rachel.  Can  you  do  something  hard  this  week  for  mother 


162 


JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 


or  father  or  some  one  else  that  you  love,  just  because  you 
love  that  person  ?  Try  it. 

Memory  Work 

Learn  the  names  of  Jacob’s  sons. 


SUNDAY  SESSION 

THE  MEETING  OF  JACOB  AND  ESAU 
Genesis,  chapters  32,  33 
The  Memory  Verse 

“  Behold,  how  good  and  how  pleasant  it  is 
For  brethren  to  dwell  together  in  unity!  ” 

— Psalm  133:1. 

The  Lesson  Story 

Jacob  and  his  family  parted  from  Laban.  Slowly  they 
moved  forward,  for  besides  the  women  and  the  children  of 
the  company  there  were  great  flocks  of  camels  and  cows  and 
goats  and  other  animals.  For  miles  and  miles  they  advanced 
through  the  country  and  at  last  they  came  to  the  borders  of 
the  Promised  Land.  And  here  once  more  God  strengthened 
Jacob,  for  he  sent  angels  to  meet  him,  so  that  Jacob  named 
the  place  “  Mahanaim,”  for,  he  said,  “  This  is  God’s  host.” 

And  Jacob  needed  all  the  strength  that  God  would  give 
him.  Esau  was  near  by — Esau,  the  brother  whom  he  had 
wronged,  who  had  threatened  to  kill  him  !  Esau  was  now  a 
desert  chief,  the  leader  of  a  great  band  of  four  hundred 
men.  And  when  Jacob  sent  word  of  his  arrival  to  his 
brother,  calling  him  “  my  lord,”  as  a  servant  would  address 
a  master,  messages  came  back  with  word  that  Esau  was 
coming  to  meet  him  with  all  this  great  band  of  fierce 
warriors. 

Jacob  was  afraid,  but  he  did  just  the  right  thing.  He 
divided  his  forces  into  two  companies.  He  asked  for  God’s 
help  in  one  of  the  oldest  prayers  of  the  Bible.  He  sent  pres¬ 
ents  to  Esau,  more  than  five  hundred  and  forty  animals.  He 
sent  an  apologetic  message.  Everything  that  he  could  do  to 


JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 


163 


make  friends  with  Esau  he  did.  He  was  trying  his  best  to 
make  peace.  Genesis  32  : 1 3-2 1 . 

Then  quietly  that  night  he  sent  his  companies  of  men  and 
women  and  animals  across  the  Jabbok,  the  boundary  of  the 
Promised  Land.  He  himself  remained  behind,  alone,  and 
while  he  was  there,  a  wonderful  thing  happened  to  him. 

All  night  long,  until  the  breaking  of  the  day  a  Man 
wrestled  with  him — a  Man  whom  Jacob  knew  to  be  God. 
And  in  that  struggle  Jacob  conquered  completely  his  old, 
wicked  nature.  He  clung  to  the  Man.  He  would  not  let 
him  go  until  he  promised  to  bless  him.  Then  the  Man  spoke 
unto  him,  “What  is  thy  name?”  And  he  said.  “Jacob.” 
Then  God  gave  to  him  a  new  name,  to  show  that  he  had  a 
new  nature.  “  Thy  name  shall  be  called  no  more  Jacob,  but 
Israel  [a  prince  with  God]  :  for  thou  hast  striven  with  God 
and  with  men,  and  hast  prevailed.” 

Then  God  blessed  Jacob  and  left  him.  And  Jacob  after 
that  struggle  called  the  place  Penuel,  for  there  he  had  seen 
God  face  to  face. 

When  morning  came  Jacob  was  .sure  that  God  would  bless 
him,  and  God  did  help  him  to  act  in  such  a  way  that  Esau 
and  he  became  friends.  He  divided  his  forces.  He  put 
Rachel  and  his  little  son  Joseph  in  the  rear  where  they  would 
be  safest,  and  he  himself  went  to  the  head  of  the  line,  to  meet 
his  brother,  bowing  seven  times  before  him  as  he  drew  near. 

Esau,  instead  of  being  angry,  ran  to  meet  him  and  em¬ 
braced  him  and  they  both  wept  with  joy.  At  first  Esau 
refused  Jacob’s  presents,  but  Jacob  urged  him  and  finally  he 
took  them. 

And  so  Jacob  entered  the  Promised  Land  once  more,  at 
peace  with  his  brother,  rich  in  flocks  and  herds,  and  with  a 
great  family.  He  had  learned  his  lesson  in  the  twenty  years 
of  service  in  a  foreign  land.  Pie  was  fitted  now  to  do 
God’s  will. 

Putting  the  Lesson  Into  the  Life  of  the  Class 

There  were  three  steps  in  the  way  in  which  Jacob  made 
friends  .with  Esau. 

1.  Pie  prepared  to  protect  himself. 

2.  Pie  prayed  to  God  and  asked  for  his  help. 

3.  Then  he  faced  the  danger  bravely. 


164 


JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 


You  do  not  have  enemies  to  meet  such  as  Jacob  expected 
Esau  to  be,  but  in  times  of  difficulty  or  trouble  you  can  do 
just  those  three  things.  You  can  do  what  you  can  do  for 
yourself.  You  can  ask  God  to  do  the  rest.  And  God  will 
not  fail  you. 

When  you  have  asked  for  God’s  help,  you  can  go  bravely 
to  meet  any  danger  or  difficulty. 

Tiii-  Lesson  Truth  in  Your  Life 

If  you  ask  God  for  aid,  he  will  help  you  in  every  time  of 
difficulty  and  danger. 

Notebook  Work 

Toseph,  the  little  son  of  Jacob  and  Rachel,  was  six  years 
old  at  the  time  of  the  lesson.  Pretend  that  you  were  in  his 
place  and  write  his  story  of  the  journey — how  he  rode  with 
his  mother  on  the  back  of  the  camel  with  its  queer  gait;  how 
he  felt  when  he  saw  his  uncle  Esau  ;  how  happy  he  was  when 
he  saw  the  meeting  between  his  father  and  his  uncle. 

The  Jabbok  River,  Near  Which  Jacob  Met  God 

Face  to  Face 

In  Scribner’s  Magazine  Dr.  Henry  van  Dyke  gives  the 
following  description  of  the  Jabbok  River:  Early  one  morn¬ 
ing  we  went  down  and  down,  by  ledge  and  terrace  and  grassy 
slopes,  into  the  Vale  or  Jabbok.  It  is  sixty  miles  long,  be¬ 
ginning  on  the  edge  of  the  mountain  of  Moab.  Here  is  the 
famous  little  river,  a  swift,  singing  current  of  gray-blue 
water — Nahe  ez-Zerka,  “  Blue  River,”  the  Arabs  call  it — 
dashing  and  swirling  merrily  between  the  thickets  of  willows 
and  tamaracks  and  oleanders  that  border  it. 

The  Shepherdess  of  the  East 

Jacob  had  learned  from  the  shepherds  of  the  welfare  of 
his  uncle,  Laban.  While  he  talked  to  them,  Rachel,  the 
daughter,  who  had  been  pointed  out  to  him,  came  up  with 
her  father’s  sheep.  This  was  no  unusual  thing  in  that  day 
and  country.  Much  of  the  drudgery  was  placed  upon  the 
women,  and  is  yet  in  much  of  the  East.  Among  the  Arabs 
and  other  nomadic  nations,  the  care  of  the  flocks  devolves 


JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 


165 


upon  the  women  or  the  servants.  Among  some  of  the  tribes 
it  is  the  exclusive  business  of  the  young,  unmarried  women 
to  drive  the  cattle  to  pasture.  “  These  young  women  set 
out  before  sunrise,  three  or  four  together,  carrying  some 
water  or  victuals  with  them,  and  they  do  not  return  until 
late  in  the  evening.  Throughout  the  day  they  continue  ex¬ 
posed  to  the  sun,  watching  the  sheep  with  great  care,  for  they 
are  sure  to  be  severely  beaten  by  their  father  should  any  be 
lost.  These  young  women  are,  in  general,  civil  to  persons 
who  pass  by,  and  ready  enough  to  share  with  them  their 
victuals  and  milk.  They  are  fully  able  to  protect  their  flocks 
against  any  ordinary  depredation  or  danger,  for  their  way 
of  life  makes  them  as  hardy  and  vigorous  as  men.” 


EXPRES SIGNAL  SESSION 

HOW  JUNIORS  MAY  SETTLE  QUARRELS 

Colossians  3:12-15 

Suggestions  eor  the  Leader’s  Opening  Address 

After  twenty  years  of  separation,  Jacob  and  Esau  met  as 
friends  instead  of  as  enemies.  Probably  Esau  would  not 
have  been  so  friendly  if  Jacob  had  not  acted  as  he  did. 
Jacob  had  learned  a  great  many  lessons  in  his  twenty  years 
away  from  home.  He  had  learned  to  conquer  himself.  He 
had  learned  to  trust  in  God.  And  so,  when  he  met  his 
brother,  he  was  willing  to  do  all  that  he  could  to  make 
friends  with  his  brother.  He  offered  to  him  a  great  present. 
He  acted  in  a  way  that  showed  he  wanted  to  make  friends. 

But  Esau,  too,  had  his  part  in  making  up  the  quarrel.  He 
was  ready  to  forgive  his  brother,  and  to  give  up  the  thought 
of  killing  him.  To-day  we  still  need  the  lessons  which  Jacob 
and  Esau  learned.  If  we  have  quarreled  with  anyone,  and 
are  in  the  wrong,  we  must  learn  to  apologize ;  make  amends. 
If  anyone  has  done  harm  to  us,  we  must  be  ready  to  forgive 
and  forget  if  he  asks  for  forgiveness. 

The  Class  Prayer 

Our  Father  in  heaven,  make  us  ready  to  ask  for  forgive¬ 
ness  if  we  have  done  wrong,  and  ready  to  forgive  others  who 


166 


JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 


have  done  wrong  to  us.  Let  us  remember  the  words  which 
Jesus  spoke  to  Peter  about  forgiving  seventy  times  seven. 
We  ask  thee  to  help  us  in  times  of  temptation  to  quarrel. 
Show  us  how  to  act  so  as  to  live  at  peace  with  others.  We 
ask  this  for  Jesus’  sake.  Amen. 

Verses  for  Use  in  the  Meeting 

II  Corinthians  13:11 ;  Ephesians  4:32a;  Matthew  5:9,  23, 
24;  Romans  12:9,  10,  14,  17-19;  I  Corinthians,  chapter  13; 
Matthew  18:21,  22. 

Hymns  that  May  Be  Used  in  Connection 
with  the  Meeting 

“  As  the  Sun  Doth  Daily  Rise.” 

“  Love  Divine,  All  Loves  Excelling.” 

“  Do  No  Sinful  Action.” 

“  Father,  Lead  Me  Day  by  Day.” 

“  Guard,  My  Child,  Thy  Tongue.” 

“  Hear  the  Captain  Clearly  Calling.” 

Questions  for  Use  in  the  Meeting 

1.  Tell  of  the  start  of  Jacob  and  his  family  from  Haran. 

2.  What  plan  did  Jacob  make  when  he  found  that  Esau 
was  not  far  away? 

3.  Why  was  he  afraid  of  his  brother? 

4.  How  did  Jacob  settle  the  quarrel  with  his  brother: 

5.  What  is  the  best  way  of  settling  a  quarrel  to-day? 

6.  Have  you  quarreled  with  anyone  lately  ?  How  did  you 
settle  this  quarrel  ? 

Topics  for  Discussion  or  Reports 

(Some  of  these  topics  refer  back  to  the  Week  Day  and 
Sunday  Sessions.) 

1.  The  Meeting  of  Abraham’s  Servant  and  Rebekah, 
Compared  with  that  of  Jacob  and  Rachel. 

2.  The  Origin  of  the  Mizpah  Benediction. 

3.  Marriage  Customs  in  Jacob’s  Day. 

4.  Jesus’  Rules  for  Settling  Quarrels. 

5.  How  Jacob  Settled  a  Quarrel. 


JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 


167 


6.  How  We  Should  Settle  Quarrels. 

7.  Seeing  the  Other  Fellow’s  Viewpoint. 

Another  Prayer  to  Say 

“  O  Thou  who  hast  thy  children  taught 
That  not  by  words  alone, 

But  by  the  fruit  of  holy  deeds 
Our  love  to  God  is  shown, 

LTpon  the  daily  path  of  life 
Uphold  us  as  we  go, 

That,  in  cur  lives,  as  with  our  lips, 

Thy  goodness  we  may  show.  Amen.” 


\ 


V 


STORIES  OF  JOSEPH 


CHAPTER  XVII 

WEEK  DAY  SESSION 

THE  LAND  OF  THE  PHARAOHS 
Psalm  105:16-24 
The:  Memory  Verse 

“  Israel  also  came  into  Egypt.” — Psalm  105  :23. 

The  Lesson  Story 

In  the  lessons  which  we  have  studied  about  the  beginnings 
of  world  history  as  we  are  told  of  it  in  the  Bible,  we  have 
already  learned  about  one  of  the  greatest  countries  of  the 
ancient  world — Chaldea  (Assyria),  from  which  Abraham 
set  out  at  God’s  command  to  seek  for  the  Land  of  Promise. 
Chaldea  was  in  Asia,  the  continent  where,  we  think,  God  first 
placed  the  man  whom  he  had  created.  But  there  was  an¬ 
other  country  which  was  almost,  if  not  quite,  as  old  in  its 
civilization  as  was  Chaldea  ;  at  least,  as  far  as  the  old  records 
show.  That  country  was  Egypt. 

Look  at  the  map  in  your  day-school  geography.  Look  at 
the  position  of  Assyria  and  of  Egypt.  In  ancient  days  the 
greatest  kings  of  the  world  ruled  in  one  of  those  nations  or 
in  the  other.  Always  they  were  fighting  with  one  another. 
Great  armies  were  led  from  Assyria  toward  Egypt,  and  from 
Egypt  toward  Assyria.  As  you  look  at  the  map,  guess  what 
the  route  of  these  armies  would  be.  Of  course  you  see  at 
once  that  little  Palestine  was  in  the  way,  and  SO',  many  times 
it  was  overrun  by  the  armies  of  first  one  king  and  then  an¬ 
other.  It  was  often  a  battle  ground  between  the  two  great 
powers. 


The  Geography  oe  Egypt 

You  probably  have  read  a  great  deal  in  day  school  about 
the  geography  of  Egypt,  and  you  know  something  about 

171 


172 


JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 


modern  Egypt.  The  geography  of  ancient  Egypt  was  much 
the  same.  On  both  sides  of  it  were  deserts.  All  the  great 
fertility  of  the  country  is  due  to  the  river  Nile — that  great 
stream  of  which  even  nowadays  we  know  so  little.  Each 
year  it  rises  and  overflows  its  banks,  and  the  wealth  of  the 
country  depends  altogether  on  the  amount  which  the  Nile 
rises  each  year.  If  it  rises  twenty-six  feet,  for  instance,  the 
year’s  crops  are  good;  if  it  rises  only  twenty-one  feet,  the 
year’s  crops  are  small,  and  the  people  correspondingly  poor. 
All  Egypt  would  be  desert  if  it  were  not  for  the  black  sedi¬ 
ment  which  is  left  when  the  river  subsides.  In  that  soil  the 
farmer  plants  his  seed,  and  quickly  a  rich  crop  springs  up, 
providing  food  for  all  the  people. 

THE  LAND  OF  GOSHEN 

Just  east  of  the  Nile  River  is  the  Land  of  Goshen,  a  little 
strip  of  country  about  a  hundred  square  miles  in  area,  and 
surrounded  on  the  north  and  east  by  deserts. 


GREAT  CITIES  OE  ANCIENT  DAYS 

At  different  times  there  were  various  capitals  in  ancient 
Egypt.  One  of  these  was  Memphis,  a  city  built  in  very  early 
times  in  the  plain  on  the  western  side  of  the  Nile,  and  about 
ten  miles  above  the  apex  of  the  delta.  In  the  neighborhood 
of  Memphis,  there  are  about  twenty  pyramids,  and  the  great 
sphinx.  Another  capital  was  Thebes,  called  “  No,’’  in  the 
Bible,  and  still  another  was  Tanis,  called  also  “  Zoan.”  One 
of  the  most  important  priestly  cities  was  On,  or  Heliopolis, 
where  there  was  a  great  temple  to  the  sun.  There  were  be¬ 
sides,  in  the  days  of  Moses,  treasure  or  store  cities,  of  which 
Rameses  and  Pithom  have  been  found  by  explorers.  Ra¬ 
ineses,  now  called  “  Tell  Rotab,”  is  north  of  the  modern  city 
of  Cairo,  and  about  ten  miles  east  of  this  is  Pithom,  now 
called  “  Tell-el-Maskbuta.”  These  store  cities  are  both  men¬ 
tioned  in  the  Bible. 


THE  history  OE  EGYPT 

The  story  of  Egypt  goes  so  far  back  that  we  cannot  even 
trace  the  beginnings.  We  only  know  that  there  were  differ¬ 
ent  sets  of  rulers  whom  we  call  “  dynasties.”  The  first  king 


JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 


173 


who  ruled  over  all  Egypt  is  supposed  to  have  been  a  Pha¬ 
raoh,  or  ruler,  named  Menes.  The  first  capital  of  Egypt  was 
at  Thinis,  or  This.  In  the  third  dynasty,  which  ended  about 
2900  e.  c.,  the  capital  was  moved  to  Memphis,  and  it  was  the 
kings  of  this  time  who  first  built  their  tombs  in  pyramidal 
shape.  It  was  in  the  fourth  dynasty,  however,  that  Pharaoh 
Cheops  built  the  Great  Pyramid.  “  His  pyramid  stood  480 
feet  high,  and  spread  over  thirteen  acres  of  ground,  being 
755  feet  on  each  side.  By  walking  twice  around  it,  one  goes 
somewhat  over  a  mile.  It  is  built  of  limestone,  and  contains 
three  grave  chambers.  The  uppermost  of  these  chambers  is 
near  the  heart  of  the  mass.  It  is  finished  in  granite,  and  con¬ 
tained  the  sarcophagus  covered  with  heavy  granite  slabs. 
Around  the  great  pyramid  lay  three  small  pyramids  for 
members  of  the  royal  family.”  The  sphinx,  too,  dates  from 
this  time,  and  still  retains  the  features  of  the  king  whose 
portrait  it  was. 

In  the  eleventh  dynasty  the  capital  was  moved  to  Thebes, 
where  there  were  many  famous  temples  built,  whose  ruins 
still  exist. 

But  at  last  these  Pharaohs  were  conquered  by  a  people 
called  “  the  Hyksos,”  or  shepherd  kings.  They  made  them¬ 
selves  rulers  of  the  land.  They  made  their  capital,  probably, 
at  Tanis.  And  it  was  during  the  rule  of  one  of  these  Hyksos 
kings  that  Joseph,  of  whom  we  are  going  to  study  in  our 
next  lessons,  was  brought  to  Egypt.  He  found  there  a  ruler 
who  understood  shepherd  people,  and  who  was  willing  to 
give  a  stranger  who  deserved  it  advancement  in  his  kingdom. 

Handwork 

Make  on  the  sand  table  a  pyramid  such  as  the  Pyramid  of 
Cheops,  or  Khufu,  and  a  sphinx.  Perhaps  you  can  make 
one  large  and  several  small  pyramids  from  paper,  to  set  up. 

Notebook  Work 

Find  as  many  pictures  of  Egypt  as  you  can,  and  make  a 
picture  page,  or  even  two  pages,  in  your  notebook.  Mark 
some  of  the  things  that  you  think  Joseph  may  have  seen 
there. 


174  JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 

Map  Work 

Draw  on  the  blackboard  a  map  of  the  part  of  Egypt  which 
is  near  the  delta,  or  mouths,  of  the  Nile  River.  Put  im the 
cities  mentioned  in  the  lesson. 

Modern  Egypt 

Instead  of  Memory  Work  this  week,  find  out  all  that  you 
can  about  Egypt  of  to-day,  so  that  you  can  tell  the  class  from 
memory  some  interesting  facts  about  the  land. 


SUNDAY  SESSION 

JOSEPH  SOLD  INTO  EGYPT 
Genesis,  chapter  37 
The  Memory  Verse 

“  I  will  lift  up  mine  eyes  unto  the  mountains: 

From  whence  shall  my  help  come? 

My  help  cometh  from  Jehovah, * 

Who  made  heaven  and  earth.” 

—Psalm  121  :1,  2. 

The  Lesson  Story 

At  last  the  family  of  Jacob  was  settled  in  the  Promised 
Land,  at  Hebron,  where  Abraham  had  lived.  There  was 
another  little  son  in  the  family,  Benjamin,  but  Rachel,  the 
mother  of  Benjamin  and  Joseph,  was  dead.  Jacob,  the 
father,  was  like  his  mother  Rebekah.  He  had  a  favorite 
son,  Joseph,  the  older  son  of  Rachel.  He  had  not  learned 
the  lesson  that  he  should  not  treat  one  of  his  sons  better 
than  the  others;  he  gave  to  Joseph  presents  which  he  did 
not  give  to  the  older  sons — particularly  a  coat  of  many  colors 
— a  long-sleeved  garment  that  showed  that  Joseph  was  his 
father’s  favorite. 

Of  course  the  older  sons  did  not  like  this.  They  were 
angry.  Thev  were  angry,  too,  because  Joseph  had  wonderful 
dreams  which  he  told  to  them.  First  he  dreamed  that  they 
were  all  binding  sheaves  in  the  field,  and  that  his  sheaf  rose 
and  stood  upright.  All  the  other  sheaves  came  round  about 


JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 


175 


and  bowed  low  before  his  sheaf.  Then  he  dreamed  that  the 
sun  and  the  moon  and  the  eleven  stars  bowed  low  before  him. 
Even  his  father  was  provoked  at  this  and  asked  him,  “  Shall 
I  and  thy  mother  and  thy  brethren  indeed  come  to  bow  down 
ourselves  to  thee  to  the  earth?”  But  Jacob  felt  that  God 
meant  something  by  these  dreams  which  had  come  to  Joseph. 
He  remembered  them,  and  often  thought  about  them. 

The  days  went  by.  Joseph  was  seventeen  years  old,  a  boy 
who  could  be  depended  on,  honest  and  fearless.  He  loved 
God,  too,  and  he  really  loved  his  father  and  his  brothers. 

So  one  day,  when  his  father  summoned  him,  he  came 
quickly. 

“  Your  brothers  have  taken  the  flocks  to  Shechem,  to  find 
pasturage,”  he  said.  “  Go  after  them  and  see  whether  all  is 
well  with  them.” 

Joseph  must  have  known  that  his  brothers  hated  him. 
Perhaps  he  did  not  want  to  take  that  long  journey  of  fifty 
miles  to  Shechem,  with  the  dangers  that  he  must  meet  on  the 
way,  and  only  his  unkind  brothers  at  the  end.  But  he  obeyed 
his  father.  He  went  to  Shechem.  He  did  not  find  his 
brothers  there  and  he  was  told  that  they  had  gone  on  to 
Dothan.  He  did  not  hesitate.  He  knew  that  his  father 
wanted  him  to  find  his  brothers.  On  he  went,  twelve  miles 
farther. 

Perhaps  he  thought  that  his  brothers  would  be  glad  to  see 
him,  but  if  he  did,  he  was  mistaken.  Even  as  they  saw  him 
in  the  distance  they  showed  their  hatred. 

“  Behold,  this  dreamer  cometh,”  one  of  them  said.  “  Come, 
let  us  kill  him,  and  tell  our  father  that  a  wild  beast  has  de¬ 
voured  him.  Then  his  dreams  won't  come  true!  ”  Reuben, 
the  oldest  brother,  was  kinder  hearted  than  the  others. 

“  Don’t  let  us  kill  him,”  he  advised.  “  Let  us  put  him 
down  in  this  pit.” 

Reuben  really  meant  well.  He  meant  to  save  Joseph  later. 

Then  they  seized  Joseph.  They  took  off  his  coat,  which 
had  made  them  so  envious.  They  put  him  in  the  pit,  which, 
by  chance,  was  dry.  Then  they  sat  down  to  eat,  leaving  their 
poor  younger  brother  hungry ! 

While  Reuben,  the  kind-hearted,  was  away,  a  band  of 
traders  came  by,  carrying  spices  from  Gilead  to  Egypt.  A 
sudden  thought  came  to  Judah. 


176 


JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 


“  I’ve  a  plan,”  he  said.  “  If  we  kill  Joseph,  we  won’t  get 
anything  out  of  it.  But  if  we  sell  him  as  a  slave,  we  shall 
make  some  money.  Come  on !  Let’s  do  it !  It  would  be  a 
sin,  anyway,  to  kill  our  own  brother.” 

The  others  agreed.  Joseph  was  drawn  out  of  the  pit. 
Because  he  was  a  good-looking  boy,  the  merchants  bought 
him,  paying  twenty  pieces  of  silver  for  him.  So  Jacob’s 
dearest  son,  who  had  always  known  comfort  and  luxury, 
was  carried  to  Egypt  there  to  become  a  slave. 

Poor  old  Jacob  at  home  was  left  sorrowing,  for  his  ten 
sons  came  back  bringing  only  Joseph’s  coat,  which  they  had 
dipped  in  the  blood  of  a  goat.  They  told  their  father  that 
they  had  found  it,  that  Joseph  must  have  been  devoured  by 
a*  wild  animal. 

But  all  the  while  Joseph  was  in  the  caravan  of  the 
merchants,  traveling  toward  Egypt.  God  had  saved  his  life 
and  was  going  to  use  him  in  carrying  out  his  promise  to 
Abraham. 

Putting  the  Lesson  Into  the  Life  of  the  Ceass 

Joseph  was  obedient  to  his  father’s  wishes,  even  when 
obedience  was  hard.  When  your  mother  asks  you  to  do 
something  hard,  do  you  say,  “Oh,  I  can’t”?  Or  do  you 
obey  willingly  and  cheerfully?  When  Joseph  reached 
Shechem  he  did  not  find  his  brothers.  He  had  obeyed  his 
father’s  command.  Why  didn’t  he  go  home,  without  seeing 
his  brothers?  He  obeyed  the  spirit  of  his  father’s  wish,  as 
well  as  the  exact  words.  Do  you  always  do  that? 

Joseph  was  thorough;  he  was  reliable  and  trustworthy;  he 
did  what  he  set  out  to  do.  You,  too,  can  be  and  do  all  of 
those  things. 

The  Lesson  Truth  in  Your  Life 

Jacob  was  trustworthy  and  reliable.  Those  are  traits 
which  every  boy  and  girl  should  have.  I  will  try  always  to 
be  trustworthy  and  reliable. 

Notebook  Work 

Write  a  story  of  how  Joseph  must  have  felt  as  he  went  to 
find  his  brothers. 


JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 


1 77 


Jack's  Obedience 

“  Jack,  I  have  a  note  here  that  I  want  grandfather  to  have 
as  soon  as  possible.  I  think  that  he  is  going  to  be  at  the 
store  this  morning,  and  I  want  yon  to  take  it  to  him.  It  is 
very  important  that  he  get  it  as  soon  as  possible.  In  it  is 
the  letter  that  he  has  been  waiting  for.”  Mother  handed 
Jack  the  thick  envelope.  “  Be  very  careful,  dear,”  she  called 
after  him,  as  he  went  down  the  stairs. 

“Then  may  I  go  to  Donald’s  to  play  hall?”  Jack  asked. 
“  All  the  boys  are  going  to  practice  this  morning.” 

“  Yes,  indeed,  dear,  go  ahead,  if  grandfather  doesn’t  want 
you,”  mother  answered.  “  But  be  sure  to  be  back  in  good 
time  for  lunch.”  It  was  Saturday,  and  she  knew  how  the 
boys  liked  to  play  on  that  day,  after  the  long  week  in  school. 

Jack  went  whistling  down  the  street.  He  stopped  at  the 
store. 

“  Your  grandfather  isn’t  here  just  now,”  said  the  clerk. 
“  He’s  gone  to  the  bank,  and  he  won’t  be  back  for  an  hour  or 
more.”  Jack  stood  still.  What  should  he  do?  Should  he 
leave  the  note  with  the  clerk,  or  should  he  follow  his  grand¬ 
father?  His  mother  had  said  that  it  was  important  for  the 
note  to  be  delivered  as  soon  as  possible.  And  yet — if  he 
went  to  the  bank  he’d  be  late  for  the  ball  practice.  Mother 
hadn’t  told  him  to  go  anywhere  but  to  the  store.  But — 

Then  he  straightened  his  shoulders.  “  Mother  wants  me 
to  deliver  the  note,”  he  said  to  himself.  “  That’s  what  I 
must  do  first.” 

So  he  hurried  as  quickly  as  he  could  go  over  to  the  bank. 
“  Is  my  grandfather  here?  ”  he  asked  the  man  at  the  door. 

“  Your  grandfather  ?  Mr.  Johnson  ?”  said  the  man.  “He 
was  here,  but  he  has  gone.  I  think  that  he  said  he  was  going 
to  Wilson’s  garage.” 

Here  was  another  problem  for  Jack.  But  this  time  he 
did  not  hesitate  even  a  minute.  He  went  on  to  Wilson’s 
garage.  And  there  at  last  he  found  his  grandfather.  He 
delivered  the  note  and  started  off.  Though  it  was  probably 
too  late  for  him  to  get  on  the  team,  he  could  watch  the 
game,  anyway ! 

“  Wait  a  minute,  sonny,”  grandfather  called  after  him. 
“  Do  you  know  what  this  note  is  about  ?  ” 

“  No,  sir.  Mother  didn’t  tell  me,”  answered  Jack.  “  At 


178 


JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 


least — she  did  say  that  it  was  the  letter  that  you  had  been 
waiting  for/’ 

“  So  it  is,”  said  grandfather.  “  And  it  is  from  your  Uncle 
Dick,  saying  that  he  will  be  at  home  for  Sunday  as  I  had 
hoped.  Your  mother  says  in  her  note  that  if  I  want  you, 
and  if  you  want  to  go,  you  can  go  with  me.  How  about  it, 
boy  ?  ” 

Jack  fairly  jumped  for  joy.  He  had  wanted  to  go  to  Uncle 
Dick’s  farm  for  months  and  months  and  months.  And  then, 
too,  there  would  be  that  splendid  ride  in  grandfather’s  new 
car  !  Wasn’t  it  just  great ! 

“  Hurry  home  now  and  get  ready,  sonny.  I  got  this  letter 
so  early  that  I  think  we’ll  start  just  as  soon  as  we  can  get 
off,  instead  of  waiting  until  this  afternoon,  as  I  told  your 
mother  I  wanted  to  do.  We’ll  stop  at  the  hotel  at  Medford 
for  lunch.  It’s  a  good  thing  that  you  caught  me,  Jack. 
We’ll  have  just  that  much  more  fun  on  our  trip!”  And 
grandfather  laughed  understandingly  at  Jack’s  happy  face. 
“  Oh,  be  off  with  you,”  he  said  jokingly.  “  Be  sure  that 
you  don’t  keep  me  waiting !  ” 

Tack  started  home  on  the  run.  But  as  he  ran,  he  thought 
of  what  might  have  happened  if  he  had  left  the  note  at  the 
store.  Grandfather  might  have  started  to  Uncle  Dick’s 
without  him,  and  at  least  he  would  have  missed  the  ride  that 
they  were  to  have  this  morning ! 

“  Well,  I’m  mighty  glad  that  I  tried  to  do  mother’s  errand 
before  I  went  off  to  play,”  he  said  as  he  rushed  into  the 
house. 


EXPRESSION AL  SESSION 

DOING  A  HARD  TASK 
Romans  12:10-13 

Suggestions  for  the  Leader's  Opening  Address 

We  learned  in  our  lesson  about  Joseph,  how  he  obeyed  his 
father  quickly,  though  Jacob  asked  him  to  do  an  errand  that 
he  must  have  known  would  be  hard  and  unpleasant.  Joseph 
was  reliable  and  trustworthy.  He  did  the  hard  task  well. 
Often  we  are  asked  to  do  something  which  we  do  not  want 


JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 


179 


to  do.  Perhaps  an  errand  interferes  with  our  plans,  or  per¬ 
haps  it  is  something  that  we  do  not  like  to  do.  God  often 
asks  his  followers,  even  grown  men  and  women,  to  do  hard 
things.  Think  of  the  early  Christians  who  proclaimed  Christ 
in  the  midst  of  enemies.  Think  of  Peter  and  John,  and  of 
Steohen  and  Paul.  Think  of  the  missionaries  who  go  into 
foreign  lands,  leaving  home  and  friends,  often  to  go  among 
savages  who  may  kill  them.  When  we  think  of  these  things 
the  dangers  and  unpleasantnesses  that  we  Juniors  have  to 
face  will  seem  very  little.  Let  us  ask  God  to  give  us  courage 
now,  so  that  when  the  call  for  greater  courage  comes,  we 
may  be  ready. 


The  Class  Prayer 

Our  Father  in  heaven,  we  are  only  Juniors,  but  we  some¬ 
times  have  duties  to  perform  that  seem  hard  for  us.  Give  us 
courage  to  do  them  in  the  right  way,  as  Joseph  did,  so  that 
when  the  call  for  greater  things  comes,  we  may  be  ready. 
We  ask  this  in  the  name  of  Jesus,  who,  in  the  days  of  long 
ago,  turned  Peter  the  coward  into  Peter  the  bold.  Amen. 

Verses  for  Use  in  the  Meeting 

Colossians  3:20;  Ephesians  6:1-3;  Hebrews  12:28;  Psalm 

100:2. 


Hymns  that  May  Be  Used  in  Connection 
with  the  Meeting 

“  Oft  in  Danger,  Oft  in  Woe.” 

“  True-Hearted,  Whole-Hearted.” 

“  We  Are  Soldiers  of  Christ.” 

“  O  Jesus,  I  Have  Promised.” 

“  The  Wise  May  Bring  Their  Learning.” 

Questions  for  Use  in  the  Meeting 

1.  What  was  the  connection  between  Israel  and  Egypt  in 
the  days  of  Jacob? 

2.  What  was  the  first  mention  of  Egypt  in  the  Bible? 

3.  How  did  Joseph  show  his  obedience  to  his  father? 

4.  Who  were  the  Ishmaelites?  the  Midianites? 

5.  How  can  you  show  obedience  to  your  parents  ? 


180  JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 

6.  Did  you  ever  do  an  errand  that  took  courage?  Tell 
about  it. 

/.  How  can  a  Junior  become  brave  to  do  the  right? 

Topics  for  Discussion  or  Reports 

1.  Bible  Brothers.  (Cain  and  Abel;  Jacob  and  Esau; 
Joseph  and  His  Brothers ;  the  Prodigal  Son  and  His 
Brother.) 

2.  How  Juniors  of  To-Day  Can  Be  Better  Brothers  and 
Sisters  Than  These. 

3.  Israel  and  Egypt  in  Bible  Times. 

4.  The  Family  of  Jacob. 

5.  The  Courage  of  the  Boy  Joseph. 

6.  Joseph  the  Obedient  and  Trustworthy. 

7.  The  Hardest  Errand  I  Ever  Did. 

8.  Why  Missionaries  Are  Brave  in  Doing  God’s  Errands. 

9.  How  Juniors  May  Become  Obedient  and  Trustworthy. 

To  Read  During  tiie  Hour 

Peter  the  coward  became  Peter  the  brave.  On  the  night 
of  the  betrayal  he  denied  Jesus  three  times,  because  he  was 
afraid  of  being  laughed  at.  And  then,  not  many  weeks  later, 
he  stood  in  the  Temple  and  preached  about  Jesus,  although 
he  had  been  forbidden  to  do  this  by  the  rulers.  He  became 
brave  because  Jesus  gave  him  courage. 

Women  missionaries  who  go  to  foreign  lands  are  not  dif¬ 
ferent  from  other  women.  God  gives  them  courage  to  go  on 
his  errands  to  foreign  lands,  and  to  preach  the  gospel  to 
every  creature. 

If  you  are  afraid,  and  yet  do  your  duty,  you  have  true 
courage.  It  takes  more  courage  to  do  a  little  task  that  you 
dislike  to  do  than  to  do  a  greater  task  that  you  like  to  do. 

If  you  think  that  a  task  set  before  you  is  hard  and  un¬ 
pleasant,  and  are  a  little  bit  afraid  to  tackle  it,  and  yet  go  at 
it  with  the  spirit  of  Joseph,  bravely  and  obediently,  you  will 
probably  find  that  it  is  not  so  hard  as  you  expected  it  to  be. 

As  you  do  hard  tasks  in  your  life,  you  are  growing  more 
and  more  able  to  do  the  hard  tasks  which  will  come  to  you 
when  you  grow  up.  Prepare  when  you  are  only  Juniors,  as 
Joseph  did,  for  a  position  of  trust  when  you  become  a  man 
or  a  woman. 


CHAPTER  XVIII 

WEEK  DAY  SESSION 

THE  JOURNEY  TO  EGYPT 
Genesis  39:1-6 
The  Memory  Verse 

“  Pie  will  not  suffer  thy  foot  to  be  moved : 

He  that  keepeth  thee  will  not  slumber.” — Psalm  121  :3. 

The  Lesson  Story 

On  and  on  the  caravan  moved.  Joseph,  probably  lashed 
to  the  side  of  one  of  the  cane  wagons  in  which  the  traders 
carried  their  spices  and  other  goods  which  they  were  going 
to  sell  in  Egypt,  was  dragged  farther  and  farther  from  home. 
On  and  on  they  went,  turning  south  to  the  coast  road,  “  the 
wav  of  the  land  of  the  Philistines.”  The  road  lay  among 
vast  woods  of  olive  and  fir,  and  past  orchards  and  green 
fields  where  wheat  and  barley  grew.  To  the  west,  in  the 
distance,  was  the  Great  Sea — the  Mediterranean — with  its 
waters  sparkling  in  the  sunlight  and  its  deep  blue  contrasting 
with  the  yellow  sand  dunes.  To  the  east  lay  the  rough  hills 
of  Palestine. 

They  passed  by  Gaza,  the  city  of  the  Philistines,  with  its 
waving  palm  trees.  Then  they  struck  out  into  the  waterless 
desert. 

The  Greek  historian,  Herodotus,  says  that  the  breadth  of 
this  desert  was  reckoned  as  “  a  journey  of  three  days.” 
Nowadays  the  journey  can  be  made  by  rail  in  a  few  hours, 
but  for  a  caravan  such  as  that  in  which  Joseph  traveled, 
probably  it  took  six  days.  For  six  days  the  broiling  sun 
scorched  them  by  day  and  the  cold  desert  air  chilled  them  at 
night.  They  met  few  travelers  to  cheer  them ;  but  here  and 
there  they  saw  the  bleached  bones  of  asses  and  camels  which 
had  died  on  the  journey,  while  vultures  hovered  round,  wait¬ 
ing  for  a  new  victim.  To  Joseph  it  must  have  seemed  a 


181 


182 


JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 


long,  long  journey,  and  he  must  have  been  glad  when  they 
caught  a  glimpse  of  the  top  of  palms,  a  green  streak  which 
showed  that  their  desert  wanderings  were  almost  over. 
They  reached  a  causeway  extending  between  marshes,  where 


great  reeds  and  bulrushes  grew,  and  water  snakes  came  in 
from  the  near-by  Nile. 

The  frontier  town  to  which  they  came  first  was  Sin,  the 
Greek  Pelusium.  Here  they  were  detained  by  the  officials 


JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 


183 


until  they  were  examined.  Then  they  were  permitted  to  go 
on  their  way  to  the  capital — Tanis,  or  Zoan.  (Mark  it  on 
your  map,  on  page  182,  about  halfway  between  Pithom  and 
Damietta.  And  there  Joseph’s  journey  was  ended  for  a  time. 
He  was  in  the  capital  of  the  Pharaoh’s,  the  home  of  kings. 

The:  Capital  op  Egypt  in  Joseph's  Day 

Tanis,  or  Zoan,  as  it  is  called  in  the  Bible,  was  about  forty 
miles  northwest  of  Sin,  the  frontier  town  where  Joseph  most 
likely  entered  Egypt.  There  was  probably  a  great  roadway 
connecting  the  two  cities,  and  running  through  the  marshy 
lake  which  lay  between  them. 

Zoan  lay  on  the  eastern  bank  of  the  Nile  River.  It  was 
surrounded  by  a  great  brick  wall ;  it  had  many  temples  built 
as  were  very  many  of  those  in  Egypt  with  high,  pyramid¬ 
shaped  towers  and  great  courts.  Through  these  courts  would 
parade  great  troops  of  priests,  preparing  sacrifices,  offering 
incense  to  their  gods,  singing  hymns  to  the  music  of  the  pipes 
and  the  drums  and  the  cymbals. 

In  the  streets  would  be  seen  the  people  from  all  parts  of 
the  world — brown  Egyptians,  red  Arabs,  black  men  from 
the  depths  of  Africa.  Quickly  they  would  turn  aside  when 
a  great  noble  passed,  carried  in  his  chair  by  his  slaves,  or 
when  a  young  grandee  drove  his  chariot  with  its  two  horses 
through  the  streets,  caring  nothing  for  those  whom  he  might 
run  down  as  he  drove  by. 

Outside  the  town  was  the  river,  leading  down  to  the  Great 
Sea.  In  the  days  of  Joseph  it  was  covered  with  boats — 
large  vessels  rowed  by  forty  or  fifty  men;  merchant  ships 
carrying  all  sorts  of  goods ;  gilded  arks,  containing  the 
images  of  the  gods,  or  lighter  skiffs,  carrying  the  people 
upon  their  daily  business.  From  the  river  branched  out  the 
canals,  which  carried  the  water  needed  in  irrigation  through 
the  fertile  fields  of  Zoan. 

Handwork  and  Map  Work 

* 

Make  a  relief  map  of  the  region  shown  on  the  map  on 
page  182.  Make  it  of  paper  pulp,  according  to  the  following 
directions. 

Take  newspaper  or  any  paper  that  does  not  have  a  glazed 


184 


JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 


surface.  Tear  into  small  pieces  and  pour  over  it  boiling 
water.  Let  it  soak  for  twelve  or  eighteen  hours  and  work 
with  your  hands  or  with  a  stick  into  pulp  which  can  be  easily 
molded.  Then  draw  off  the  water  through  a  cloth.  Keep 
the  pulp  rather  wet  as  you  mold  your  map,  dampening  it  if 
necessary.  As  you  mold  be  sure  to  pinch  the  pulp  dry 
enough  to  hold  its  shape.  When  it  is  finished  set  it  aside  for 
several  hours  until  it  is  dry. 

Notebook  Work 

Copy  in  your  notebook  the  map  given  on  page  182,  and 
write  a  little  story  of  Joseph’s  journey,  pretending  that  you 
are  Joseph. 


Expressional  Activity 

Do  you  suppose  that  Joseph  acted  toward  the  Ishmaelite 
traders  so  that  he  won  their  favor?  Why?  Try  this  week 
to  act  in  such  a  way  that  you  will  win  the  favor  of  those 
older  and  wiser  than  you  are. 


SUNDAY  SESSION 

JOSEPH  AND  THE  BUTLER  AND  THE  BAKER 
Genesis  39 :20-23  ;  chapter  40 

The  Memory  Verse 

“  Behold,  he  that  keepeth  Israel 
Will  neither  slumber  nor  sleep.” — Psalm  121 :4. 

The  Lesson  Story 

There  was  a  great  hurry  and  bustle  in  the  streets  of  Tanis 
one  morning.  The  slave  market  was  crowded.  Hurrying 
back  and  forth  were  the  Ishmaelite  and  Midianite  slave 
dealers. 

“  Stand  up  straight,  Apepi,”  perhaps  they  would  shout, 
with  a  crack  of  the  whip.  “  No  good  master  will  buy  a 
weakling  like  you!  Look  at  Joseph  there.  How  strong 
he  is!” 

The  slave  buyers  for  the  Egyptian  nobles  passed  through 


JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 


185 


the  market,  examining  the  slaves,  asking  questions  and  test¬ 
ing  their  muscles,  as  if  they  had  been  animals.  There  was 
a  sudden  stir. 

“  Here  comes  the  overseer  of  Potiphar,  the  captain  of 
the  king’s  guard,”  the  whisper  went  through  the  crowd. 
“  He  will  be  fortunate  who  is  bought  for  the  household  of 
Potiphar !  ” 

Slowly  the  great  man’s  servant  passed  through  the  market. 
He  came  to  the  place  where  Joseph  was  standing.  When  he 
saw  the  boy  erect,  clear-eyed,  looking  at  him  bravely,  he  took 
a  fancy  to  him  at  once. 

“  Send  that  boy  to  the  house  of  Potiphar,”  he  commanded. 
“He  shall  be  of  the  household  of  the  captain  of  the  king’s 
guard.”  And  so  Joseph  was  taken  away  from  his  Ishmaelite 
masters.  He  became  a  slave  of  Potiphar. 

Years  passed  by.  Joseph  showed  the  same  trustworthi¬ 
ness,  the  same  honesty  that  he  had  shown  in  the  home  of  his 
father  Jacob.  Always  he  worshiped  God  as  he  had  learned 
to  do  when  he  was  at  home.  God  blessed  him  in  everything 
that  he  did  so  that  soon  Potiphar  made  him  head  over  all  his 
household. 

Then  a  dreadful  thing  happened  to  this  young  man  whose 
life  had  been  so  full  of  ups  and  downs. 

His  master’s  wife  became  angry  at  him.  She  went  to  her 
husband,  Potiphar,  and  told  him  that  Joseph  was  untrue  to 
him  and  was  deceiving  him.  Potiphar  believed  what  she 
said.  Pie  had  Joseph  taken  to  prison  and  shut  up  there! 

But  in  prison  Joseph  “  made  good,”  too.  He  was  so 
trustworthy  and  honorable,  so  pleasant,  that  he  soon  won  the 
favor  of  the  keeper  of  the  prison.  He  was  put  in  charge  of 
the  other  prisoners. 

While  Joseph  was  in  this  position,  two  of  the  officers  of 
the  Pharaoh  of  Egypt,  the  chief  butler  and  the  chief  baker, 
offended  the  king,  and  they,  too,  were  in  prison.  One  morn¬ 
ing  when  he  went  on  his  rounds  among  the  prisoners,  he 
found  these  two  men  looking  very  sad. 

“  What  is  the  matter?  ”  he  asked. 

“  We  have  dreamed  a  dream,”  they  said,  “  and  there  is  no 
one  to  tell  us  what  it  means.” 

“  Tell  your  dreams  to  me,”  said  Joseph.  “  God  can  help 
me  to  interpret  them  for  you.” 


186 


JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 


First  the  chief  butler  told  his  dream.  He  had  dreamed  of 
a  grapevine,  with  three  branches ;  first  it  budded ;  then  it 
blossomed ;  and  then  it  bore  ripe  grapes.  The  chief  butler 
thought  he  had  pressed  out  the  juice  of  the  grapes  into 
Pharaoh’s  cup,  and  given  it  to  the  king  to  drink. 

“  I  can  tell  you  what  your  dream  means,”  said  Joseph. 
“  In  three  days  you  shall  be  set  free,  and  serve  Pharaoh  as 
you  did  before  you  came  to  prison.  Remember  me,  I  pray, 
when  you  return  to  court.  Speak  a  good  word  for  me.” 

Then  the  chief  baker  told  his  dream  of  three  baskets  of 
white  bread  and  all  kinds  of  baked  food  for  the  king.  But 
the  birds,  instead  of  Pharaoh,  were  eating  his  food. 

Joseph  told  the  chief  baker,  too,  the  meaning  of  his  dream, 
but  it  was  not  so  pleasant  as  that  which  he  had  told  the  chief 
butler.  In  three  days,  he  said,  the  chief  baker  would  be 
hanged. 

So  it  proved.  In  three  days  came  Pharaoh’s  birthday.  He 
remembered  the  chief  butler  and  the  chief  baker  in  prison. 
He  discovered  that  the  accusation  against  the  chief  butler 
had  been  false  and  he  freed  him ;  but  the  chief  baker  had 
really  been  unfaithful  to  him,  and  so  he  was  hanged. 

So  God  told  to  Joseph  the  meaning  of  the  dreams  of  these 
two  men.  And  through  that,  Joseph  was  by  and  by  freed 
from  prison  and  brought  to  the  attention  of  the  king. 

Putting  the  Lesson  IRto  the  Life  of  the  Cgass 

In  all  our  lessons  about  Joseph  we  shall  find  that  he  was 
helpful.  He  was  helpful  to  his  father.  He  was  helpful  to 
Potiphar.  He  was  helpful  to  the  jailer.  He  was  helpful 
to  the  butler  and  the  baker.  And  through  his  helpfulness 
he  won  great  favor  and  was  promoted. 

Are  you  trying  to  be  helpful  every  day?  Do  you  help 
your  mother?  Do  you  help  your  teachers?  Do  you  help 
your  friends?  The  best  way  to  be  helpful  to  older  people  is 
to  be  obedient  and  trustworthy,  and  in  these  things,  too, 
Joseph  is  an  example. 

The  Lesson  Truth  in  Your  Life 

Joseph  was  helpful,  obedient,  trustworthy.  I,  too,  will  try 
to  be  helpful,  obedient,  trustworthy. 


JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS  187 

EXPRESSION  AL  SESSION 

FAITHFULNESS  IN  EVERYDAY  THINGS 

Matthew  25 : 14-29 

Suggestions  for  tiif  Leader's  Opening  Address 

This  week  we  have  been  studying  about  Joseph,  who  was 
trustworthy  and  faithful  in  little  things,  and  so  was  given 
always  greater  and  greater  responsibilities.  He  was  like  the 
man  of  whom  Jesus  told  in  his  parable  of  the  Talents,  who, 
because  he  was  faithful  in  few  things,  was  made  ruler  over 
many  things.  And  that  is  the  way  for  us  Juniors  to-day  to 
learn.  If  we  are  faithful  in  the  little  things  that  we  have 
to  do  every  day,  we  shall  be  ready  for  the  greater  things  that 
we  have  to  do  when  we  grow  up.  Perhaps  we  think  that 
these  things  we  do  now  are  too  little  to  be  of  any  account  in 
the  world,  but  if  we  are  faithful  now,  we  shall  be  ready 
when  the  great  chance  comes.  We  shall  find,  too,  that  God 
will  help  us  as  he  helped  Joseph,  of  whom  the  Bible  says, 
“  Jehovah  was  with  Joseph.” 

The  Ceass  Prayer 

Our  Father  in  heaven,  we  ask  thee  to  be  with  us  as  thou 
wast  with  Joseph.  Help  us  in  all  our  lives  of  every  day. 
Help  us  to  do  the  little  tasks  as  thou  wouldst  have  us  to  do, 
and  so  be  ready  for  whatever  may  come  to  us  when  we  have 
grown  to  be  men  or  women.  We  ask  for  Jesus’  sake.  Amen. 

Verses  for  Use  in  the  Meeting 

Luke  19:12-26;  Revelation  2:10;  II  Timothy  2:2;  II 
Kings  12  :15  ;  III  John  5  ;  I  Timothy  1  :12. 

Hymns  that  May  Be  Used  in  Connection 
with  the  Meeting 

“  He  Leadeth  Me,  O  Blessed  Thought.” 

“  I  Pledge  My  Spirit  Loyal.” 

“  Follow  Me,  the  Master  Said.” 

“  Teach  Me,  O  God  and  King.” 

“  The  Light  of  God  Is  Falling.” 


188 


JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 


Questions  for  Use  in  the  Meeting 

1.  How  did  Joseph  show  himself  faithful? 

2.  How  did  Joseph  show  himself  helpful? 

3.  Was  Joseph  always  true  to  the  God  of  his  father, 
Jacob?  What  makes  you  think  so? 

4.  How  can  a  Junior  of  to-day  be  like  Joseph? 

5.  How  can  a  Junior  of  to-day  be  like  the  faithful 
servant  in  Jesus’  parable? 

Topics  for  Discussion  or  Reports 

1.  Strange  Gods  of  Egypt. 

2.  Why  Joseph  Might  Have  Turned  from  the  Worship 
of  the  True  (Jod. 

3.  Faithfulness  to  God  and  to  Men. 

4.  Everyday  Faithfulness. 

5.  Faithfulness  at  Home. 

6.  Faithfulness  at  School. 

7.  Faithfulness  to  Our  Church. 

8.  Faithfulness  to  Our  Country. 

To  Read  During  the  Hour 

“  We  may  have  to  study  what  we  do  not  enjoy,  or  do  work 
that  is  mere  drudgery  to  us.  .  .  .  But  if  we  glorify  it  with 
Joseph’s  spirit  of  cheerful  fidelity  and  serene  confidence  in 
God,”  we  shall  succeed. 

“  Who  sweeps  a  room  as  by  God’s  law 
Makes  that  and  the  action  fine.” 

“  Far  higher  than  worldly  success  is  heavenly  success ;  and 
this  also  depends  upon  our  fidelity.  We  shall  not  be  true  to 
Christ  in  the  large  things  unless  we  are  true  to  him  in  the 
little  things ;  we  shall  not  be  faithful  where  men  can  see  us 
if  we  are  not  faithful  in  the  dark  and  hidden  corners  of 
our  lives.” 

By  my  tasks  of  every  day, 

By  the  little  words  I  say, 

By  the  friendships  which  I  make, 

By  the  roads  my  footsteps  take, 

My  allegiance  I  proclaim — 

My  allegiance  to  a  name — 

Prove  my  right  his  cross  to  wear, 

Cross  and  name  of  Christ  to  bear. 

— George  Klingle. 


CHAPTER  XIX 

WEEK  DAY  SESSION 

FROM  PRISON  TO  PALACE 
Genesis  41  :l-43 
The:  Memory  Verse 
“Jehovah  is  thy  keeper: 

fehovah  is  thy  shade  upon  thy  right  hand.”- — Psalm  121 :5. 

The  Lesson  Story 

Month  after  month  passed,  and  Joseph  was  still  in  prison. 
The  chief  butler  had  forgotten  all  about  Joseph,  who  had 
been  his  friend.  For  two  years  he  did  not  think  of  him. 

And  then  something  happened.  Pharaoh  had  a  dream. 
He  thought  in  his  dream  that  he  was  standing  by  the  Nile, 
the  great  river  of  Egypt.  And  as  he  stood  there  seven  fat 
cows  came  up  out  of  the  river,  and  fed  in  the  reed  grass  that 
grew  along  the  bank  of  the  Nile.  Then  seven  other  cows, 
thin  and  badly  fed,  came  from  the  river  and  ate  the  fat  ani¬ 
mals.  Pharaoh  woke  from  his  dream  very  much  troubled. 
He  did  not  know  what  it  meant.  To  make  matters  still  more 
puzzling,  he  dreamed  another  dream,  much  like  the  first.  In 
this  dream  seven  ears  of  grain,  well  filled  out  and  good,  grew 
on  one  stalk.  Then,  after  them,  sprang  up  seven  poor  ears, 
which  had  been  blasted  by  the  east  wind.  The  seven  thin 
ears  swallowed  up  the  seven  good  ears. 

Pharaoh  felt  sure  that  the  dreams  meant  something, 
though  he  could  not  tell  what.  He  called  together  his  wise 
men.  He  told  them  his  dreams,  but  they  could  not  help  him 
in  the  interpretation. 

All  the  people  in  the  palace  were  troubled,  for  it  was  im¬ 
portant  to  them  to  make  the  king  happy.  Suddenly  the  chief 
butler  remembered  Joseph  in  the  prison.  He  told  Pharaoh 
about  him  and  how  he  had  explained  the  meaning  of  his 
dream  and  that  of  the  chief  baker.  Pharaoh  was  pleased 

189 


190  JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 

with  the  chief  butler’s  story.  He  sent  for  Joseph  to  come 
to  him. 

Quickly  Joseph  got  ready.  He  dressed  in  his  best.  He 
was  taken  before  the  king.  And  there,  right  away,  Joseph 
showed  that  he  still  believed  in  the  one  true  God  of  his 
father  Jacob.  He  still  remembered  what  he  had  learned  at 
home  when  he  was  a  boy.  (You  must  remember  that  Jo¬ 
seph  was  a  man  now,  probably  thirty  years  old.)  He  spoke 
out  clearly  and  decidedly.  “  I  cannot  tell  what  the  dream  of 
Pharaoh  means  by  my  own  power,”  he  said.  “  God  will  give 
Pharaoh  the  answer.” 

And  when  Pharaoh  had  told  him  the  dreams,  God  did  give 
him  their  meaning  through  Joseph. 

“  What  God  is  about  to  do  he  hath  declared  unto  Pha¬ 
raoh,”  he  said. 

“  The  seven  good  kine  are  seven  years ;  and  the  seven  good 
ears  are  seven  years :  the  dream  is  one.  And  the  seven  lean 
and  ill-favored  kine  that  came  up  after  them  are  seven 
years,  and  also  the  seven  empty  ears  blasted  with  the  east 
wind ;  they  shall  be  seven  years  of  famine.  That  is  the  thing 
which  I  spake  unto  Pharaoh :  what  God  is  about  to  do  he 
hath  showed  unto  Pharaoh.  Behold,  there  come  seven  years 
of  great  plenty  throughout  all  the  land  of  Egypt :  and  there 
shall  arise  after  them  seven  years  of  famine;  and  all  the 
plenty  shall  be  forgotten  in  the  land  of  Egypt;  and  the 
famine  shall  consume  the  land.  .  .  .  Now  therefore  let  Pha¬ 
raoh  look  out  a  man  discreet  and  wise,  and  set  him  over  the 
land  of  Egypt.” 

So  Joseph  interpreted  Pharaoh’s  dreams.  The  king  was 
pleased.  He  was  quick  to  accept  Joseph’s  suggestion  of  ap¬ 
pointing  a  man  in  command  of  the  grain  supply.  But  he 
went  still  further.  He  did  something  that  Joseph  did  not 
expect. 

“  Forasmuch  as  God  hath  showed  thee  all  this,”  he  said, 
“  there  is  none  so  discreet  and  wise  as  thou :  thou  shalt  be 
over  my  house,  and  according  unto  thy  word  shall  all  my 
people  be  ruled :  only  in  the  throne  will  I  be  greater  than 
thou.” 

So  Joseph,  who  had  been  so  short  a  time  before  a  prisoner, 
became  the  second  ruler  of  the  kingdom.  Pharaoh  gave  to 
him  his  own  signet  ring,  with  which  he  could  seal  papers  and 


JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 


191 


documents.  Instead  of  his  prisoner’s  clothes  he  was  given 
clothes  of  fine  linen  and  a  golden  chain,  and  a  chariot  in 
which  to  ride. 

As  he  rode  through  the  streets  of  the  city,  the  slaves  who 
ran  before  him  cried  out  to  the  people :  “  Bow  the  knee ! 
Bow  the  knee  to  the  ruler.” 

God  had  brought  his  servant  Joseph  from  prison  to  palace, 
and  made  him  a  mighty  ruler  in  a  strange  land. 

Handwork 

The  lotus  blossom  grew  in  the  Nile  River,  and  the  people 
of  Egypt  loved  it.  They  used  it  in  decorating  many  of  their 


buildings.  Ask  mother  for  a  plain  white  correspondence 
card.  Decorate  it  with  lotus  blossoms,  and  write  on  it  the 
Memory  Verse,  to  make  you  think  of  Joseph,  and  how  God 
kept  him  safe,  in  a  strange  land. 

Notebook  Work 

Copy  in  your  notebook  the  drawing  given  on  this  page  and 
write  a  short  story  of  what  Joseph  saw  as  he  was  taken 
through  the  streets  of  Tanis,  from  the  prison  to  the  palace. 

Expressionae  Activity 

Joseph  was  loyal  and  faithful  and  helpful.  Try  this  week 
to  be  loyal  and  faithful  and  helpful  in  everything  you  do. 


192  JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 

Memory  Work 

Learn  the  words  of  the  following  hymn: 

“  Father  of  Love,  our  Guide  and  Friend, 

Oh,  lead  us  gently  on, 

Until  life's  trial  time  shall  end, 

And  heavenly  peace  be  won. 

“  We  know  not  what  the  path  may  be 
As  yet  by  us  untrod ; 

But  we  can  trust  our  all  to  thee, 

Our  Father  and  our  God.” 


SUNDAY  SESSION 

JOSEPH  THE  RULER  OF  EGYPT 
Genesis  41  :44-57 

The  Memory  Verse 

“  The  sun  shall  not  smite  thee  by  day, 

Nor  the  moon  by  night.” — Psalm  121  :6 

The  Lesson  Story 

“  Bow  the  knee  !  Bow  the  knee !  Bow  the  knee  !  ” 

So  called  the  slaves  who  ran  before  the  chariot  of  Joseph, 
the  second  ruler  of  Egypt. 

Those  were  busy  days  for  the  man  who  had  been  so  short 
a  time  before  a  slave  and  a  prisoner.  He  was  thirty  years 
old  now.  He  had  married  an  Egyptian  maiden,  Asenath, 
the  daughter  of  Potiphera,  the  priest  of  On,  and  they  had 
two  sons,  Manasseh  and  Ephraim.  Joseph  himself  was 
called  Zaphenath-paneah,  a  name  which  perhaps  means, 
“  God  speaks ;  he  lives.” 

The  seven  years  of  plenty  had  come,  as  Joseph  had  fore¬ 
seen.  The  Nile  rose  high  during  those  years ;  the  crops  were 
good.  “  In  the  seven  plenteous  years  the  earth  brought  forth 
by  handfuls.”  And  Joseph  gathered  it  in ;  he  brought  it  from 
all  parts  of  the  country.  Down  to  Memphis  he  rode,  past 
the  Pyramids  and  the  great  Sphinx ;  and  to  Thebes,  with  its 
great  pillared  temples.  Everywhere  he  obtained  grain.  He 


JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 


193 


put  it  in  great  brick  storehouses.  He  piled  it  up  until  it  was 
as  the  sands  of  the  sea.  And  then,  suddenly,  a  year  came 
when  the  Nile  did  not  rise  high;  the  crops,  in  consequence, 
were  not  good.  That  year  the  people  did  not  suffer  much. 
There  was  grain  left  over  from  the  years  of  plenty.  But 
there  was  a  second  year  of  drought — and  a  third — and  a 
fourth — and  a  fifth — and  a  sixth — and  a  seventh.  It  was 
just  as  Joseph  had  said  when  he  explained  Pharaoh’s  dream. 
The  people  were  in  great  distress.  They  cried  out  to  Pha¬ 
raoh  in  their  trouble. 

“  Go  to  Joseph,  the  second  ruler  of  the  land,”  he  said  to 
them.  “  Pie  will  help  you.”  And  so  the  people  of  Egypt 
went  to  Joseph.  He  opened  up  the  great  storehouses  and 
sold  the  grain  to  the  people.  There  was  plenty  for  the  people 
of  Egypt  to  eat.  though  there  was  famine  everywhere  else. 
God  had  given  his  blessing  to  Joseph  the  faithful  and  trust¬ 
worthy,  and  all  the  land  shared  in  that  blessing.  There  was 
food  enough  for  themselves,  and  to  spare.  “  All  countries 
came  to  Egypt  to  Joseph  to  buy  grain,  because  the  famine 
was  sore  in  all  the  earth.” 

Putting  the  Lesson  Into  the  Liee  oe  the  Ceass 

Joseph  the  faithful  in  little  things  had  been  given  authority 
in  great  things,  as  Jesus,  in  his  parable  spoken  hundreds  of 
years  later,  said  the  man  who  was  faithful  in  little  things 
would  be.  Though  Joseph  lived  seventeen  hundred  years 
before  Jesus  lived,  and  we  live  more  than  nineteen  hundred 
years  afterwards,  the  rule  holds  good  now  as  then.  While 
you  are  a  Junior,  learn  to  be  faithful  in  your  Junior  tasks, 
and  you  will  be  prepared  for  greater  work  by  and  by. 

Joseph  planned  and  worked  for  the  future.  If  he  had  let 
six  years  go  by  before  he  started  to  get  ready  for  the  seven 
years  of  famine,  he  would  have  had  small  provision  made. 
Do  you  get  ready  in  good  time  for  those  things  that  you 
know  are  coming  i  Do  you  learn  your  lessons  every  day,  for 
instance,  or  do  you  learn  just  before  your  examinations? 

Though  Joseph  lived  in  a  foreign  country  and  married  a 
wife  who  was  the  daughter  of  a  heathen  priest,  he  was 
always  true  to  God  and  the  religion  of  his  father,  Jacob. 
We,  too,  should  always  be  true  to  our  religion  and  try  to 
show  others  that  we  are  followers  of  Jesus. 


194 


JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 
Map  Work 

Joseph’s  wife  was  the  daughter  of  Potiphera,  a  priest  of 
the  sun  god.  Re,  at  On,  or  Heliopolis.  Find  On,  on  the  map, 
and  then  read  this  strange  bit  about  it : 

At  On  there  had  been  for  centuries  a  famous  temple  of  the 
sun  god,  Re,  and  the  city  is  better  known  in  history  by  its 
Greek  name  “  Heliopolis,”  The  City  of  the  Sun.  Its  ruins 
stand  on  the  edge  of  the  fertile  country,  west  of  the  old 
capital,  Memphis.  Here  were  huge  inscribed  obelisks  set  up 
to  symbolize  the  rays  of  the  sun.  They  are  older  than  the 
time  of  Joseph. 

These  great  obelisks  have  had  a  curious  history.  More 
than  a  thousand  years  after  Joseph’s  time,  when  the  Romans 
ruled  Egypt,  Heliopolis  fell  into  decay,  and  four  of  these 
obelisks  were  taken,  with  great  labor,  to  adorn  the  city  of 
Alexandria,  on  the  coast  of  Egypt.  Cleopatra’s  needles,  they 
came  to  be  called.  Later  one  was  taken  to  Constantinople, 
one  to  Rome,  one,  in  1877,  to  London,  and  at  last,  by  the  gift 
of  the  Egyptian  government,  one  in  1881  to  New  York, 
where  it  stands  in  Central  Park,  near  the  Metropolitan 
Museum.  One  of  the  great  obelisks  still  stands  in  the  ruins 
of  Heliopolis,  as  it  did  when  Joseph,  according  to  the  story, 
married  the  daughter  of  a  priest  of  Re  at  the  old  shrine. 
(“  'JAhe  Heroes  of  Early  Israel,’’  by  Wood.) 

The  Lesson  Truth  in  Your  Life 

Joseph  was  faithful  to  his  father;  to  his  master,  Potiphar; 
to  his  master,  the  prison  keeper ;  to  his  master  Pharaoh ;  to 
the  country  of  his  adoption.  And  God  used  him  to  do  good 
to  all  these  people.  I  will  try,  too,  to  be  faithful  to  all  those 
with  whom  I  come  in  contact,  so  that  God  may  see  fit  to  use 
me  for  good. 


Famine  Inscriptions 

For  many  centuries  people  did  not  know  except  from  the 
Bible  that  there  had  ever  been  a  famine  in  Egypt  that  lasted 
seven  years.  But  in  1891  the  story  of  such  a  famine  was 
found  cut  on  a  rock  in  the  Nile  River.  It  is  written  in  the 
queer  picture  writing  (hieroglyphics)  which  the  Egyptians 
used.  It  tells  how  King  Zoser,  who  ruled  in  Egypt  about 


INTERIOR  OF  AX  EGYPTIAN  TEMPLE 


JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 


195 


2980  b.  Cv  appealed  to  his  gods  to  save  him  from  a  famine. 
Here  is  what  the  inscription  says.  Where  there  are  question 
marks  the  men  who  have  tried  to  translate  the  words  on  the 
stone  have  not  been  sure  of  what  the  queer  signs  mean. 

“  I  am  very  anxious  on  account  of  those  who  are  in  the 
palace.  My  heart  is  in  great  anxiety  on  account  of  mis¬ 
fortune,  for  in  my  time  the  Nile  has  not  overflowed  for  a 
period  of  seven  years.  There  is  scarcely  any  produce  of  the 
field;  herbage  fails;  eatables  are  wanting.  Every  man  robs 
his  neighbor.  Men  move(  ?)  with  nowhere  to  go.  The  chil¬ 
dren  cry,  the  young  people  creep  along(  ?).  The  aged  heart 
is  bowed  down;  their  limbs  are  crippled;  they  sit (  ?)  on  the 
earth.  Their  arms  are  .  .  .  The  people  of  the  court  are  at 
their  wits’  end.  The  storehouses  (  ?)  were  built,  but  .  .  . 
and  all  that  was  in  them  has  been  consumed.” 

Inscription  op  Baba  op  El-Kab 

Another  inscription  tells  of  a  man  who  lived  in  1500  B.  c. 
The  last  words  of  the  story  remind  us  of  the  way  in  which 
Joseph  acted.  The  “  ephah  ”  and  the  “  bin  ”  are  measures 
or  quantity,  like  our  quart  and  pint.  “  Durra  ”  is  a  kind  of 
grain. 

The  chief  at  the  table  of  the  sovereign,  Baba,  the  risen 
again,  speaks  thus  :  I  loved  my  father  ;  I  honored  my  mother; 
my  brothers  and  sisters  loved  me.  I  went  out  of  the  door  of 
my  house  with  a  benevolent  heart ;  I  stood  there  with  re¬ 
freshing  hand ;  splendid  were  my  preparations  of  what  I 
collected  for  the  festal  day.  Mild  was  (my)  heart,  free 
from  violent  anger.  The  gods  bestowed  upon  me  abundant 
prosperity  upon  earth.  The  city  wished  me  health  and  a  life 
of  full  enjoyment.  I  punished  the  evildoers.  The  children 
who  stood  before  me  in  the  town  during  the  days  which  I 
fulfilled  were — great  and  small — 60;  just  as  many  beds  were 
provided  for  them,  just  as  many  chairs (?),  just  as  many 
tables  (  ?).  They  all  consumed  120  ephahs  of  durra,  the  milk 
of  3  cows,  52  goats,  and  9  she-asses,  a  bin  of  balsam,  and  2 
jars  of  oil.  ...  I  call  the  god  Mut  to  witness  that  what  I 
say  is  true.  I  had  all  this  prepared  in  my  house ;  in  addition 
I  put  cream  in  the  store-chamber  and  beer  in  the  cellar  in  a 
more  than  sufficient  number  of  bin-measures. 

I  collected  corn  as  a  friend  of  the  harvest-god.  I  was 


1% 


JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 


watchful  in  time  of  sowing-.  And  when  a  famine  arose,  last¬ 
ing  many  years,  I  distributed  corn  to  the  city  each  year  of 
famine. — “  Archaeology  and  the  Bible.”  By  George  A. 
Barton. 


EXPRESSION AL  SESSION 

MAKING  READY  FOR  OPPORTUNITY 

James  1  :25 

Suggestions  for  the  Leader’s  Opening  Address 

Joseph  won  his  way  to  promotion  in  the  first  place  because 
God  was  with  him,  “  That  which  he  did,  Jehovah  made  it  to 
prosper.”  But  God  would  not  have  blessed  Joseph  as  he  did 
if  Joseph  himself  had  not  tried  in  every  way  to  do  what  was 
right.  Fie  was  always  loval  and  faithful  to  those  to  whom 
lie  owed  loyalty  and  fidelity..  He  was  always  ready  when 
the  opportunity  came.  And  the  way  that  he  made  ready  for 
opportunity  is  a  way  in  which  we,  too,  can  make  ready.  He 
always  did  just  as  well  as  he  could  the  duty  that  lay  before 
him.  When  he  was  in  the  household  of  Potiphar  and  when 
he  was  in  prison  he  did  well  the  tasks  which  were  assigned 
to  him.  So,  when  the  opportunity  came  to  appear  in  the 
court  of  Pharaoh  he  was  ready.  We  Juniors  should  do  our 
very  best  work  in  home  and  in  school  now,  so  that  we  may 
be  ready  to  make  the  most  of  our  opportunities  when  they 
come  to  us. 


The  Class  Prayer 

Our  Father  in  heaven,  help  us  while  we  are  Juniors  to 
make  ready  for  the  opportunities  that  will  come  to  us  when 
we  are  older.  Help  us  to  do  the  things  we  should  and  bless 
us  and  those  with  whom  we  are  connected  as  you  blessed 
Joseph  and  those  with  whom  he  was  connected,  so  many 
years  ago.  For  Jesus’  sake.  Amen. 

Verses  for  Use  in  the  Meeting 

James  1  :1 7 ;  Titus  3:1b;  I  Corinthians  3:7;  Psalm  21  :5; 
67 :6,  7. 


JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 


197 


Hymns  that  May  Be  Used  in  Connection 
with  the  Meeting 

“  O  Thou  Whose  Feet  Have  Climbed  Life’s  Hill.” 

“  Father,  Who  on  Man  Doth  Shower.” 

“  Wait  Upon  the  Lord.” 

“  Father,  Lead  Us  Day  by  Day.” 

“If  We  Wish  for  Joy  in  This  Troubled  World.” 

Questions  eor  Use  in  the  Meeting 

1.  What  probably  was  the  capital  of  Egypt  when  Joseph 
was  its  second  ruler  ? 

2.  Tell  what  you  know  about  the  shepherd  kings. 

3.  How  did  Joseph  prepare  to  make  the  most  of 
opportunity  ? 

4.  Tell  about  two  ways  in  which  a  Junior  can  prepare  to 
make  the  most  of  opportunities  (James  1  :22a). 

5.  Did  Joseph  use  these  two  ways  of  making  the  most  of 
his  opportunities? 

Topics  eor  Discussion  or  Reports 

1.  Bible  Dreams. 

2.  Egypt  in  Joseph’s  Day. 

3.  How  Jacob  Learned  God’s  Lessons. 

4.  How  Joseph  Learned  God’s  Lessons. 

5.  Learning  to  Do  by  Doing. 

6.  The  Junior  Motto.  James  1  :22a. 

To  Read  in  the  Meeting 

When  George  Washington  was  a  young  officer  in  the 
Indian  Wars,  he  did  not  know  that  he  was  preparing  to  be 
general  of  the  American  forces  in  the  Revolution  and  first 
President  of  the  United  States.  He  did  his  very  best  in  each 
task  that  was  given  him,  and  so  was  ready  for  the  big  op¬ 
portunity  that  came  to  him. 

Abraham  Lincoln,  studying  by  the  firelight  in  his  home  in 
Illinois,  was  doing  every  task  before  him  to  the  very  best  of 
his  ability.  He  was  ready  for  every  chance  that  came,  and 
so  he  became  President. 

Have  faith  in  God,  and  do  your  very  best  in  everything, 
and  God  will  bless  you. 


198 


JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 


First  be  sure  you’re  right,  boys, 

Then  with  courage  strong, 

Strap  your  pack  upon  your  back, 

And  try,  try  along. 

— James  Whitcomb  Riley. 

Be  brave,  be  steadfast,  and  be  true ; 

And  e\er,  as  you  climb, 

Keep  God’s  clear  beacon  light  in  view, 

And  win,  in  his  good  time. 

— Eben  E.  Rexeord. 


CHAPTER  XX 

WEEK  DAY  SESSION 

JOSEPH’S  BROTHERS  VISIT  EGYPT 
Genesis,  chapter  42 

The  Memory  Verse 

‘‘Jehovah  will  keep  thee  from  all  evil; 

He  will  keep  thy  soul.”' — Psalm  121 :7. 

The  Lesson  Story 

The  great  famine  of  which  God  had  warned  Pharaoh,  and 
for  which  Joseph  had  provided,  had  extended  even  into  the 
land  of  Canaan.  Jacob  and  his  eleven  sons  felt  it.  They 
needed  food  for  themselves  and  their  families. 

“  I  hear  that  there  is  grain  in  Egypt,”  said  Jacob  to  his 
sons  one  day.  “  I  think  that  it  will  be  best  for  you  to  go 
down  to  the  land  of  the  Nile,  to  buy  food  for  us  all.  I  shall 
keep  Benjamin  at  home  with  me,  but  I  want  the  rest  of  you 
to  go.” 

The  ten  brothers  looked  at  one  another.  The  word 
“  Egypt  ”  always  made  them  feel  uncomfortable.  Their  con¬ 
sciences  still  pricked  when  they  remembered  their  brother 
Joseph,  though  more  than  twenty  years  had  passed  since 
they  sold  him  into  slavery.  But  they  saw  that  to  obey  their 
father’s  words  was  the  only  thing  to  do.  They  got  together 
all  the  money  they  could  collect,  and  started  on  the  way  to 
Egypt — probably  along  the  coast  road  over  which  the  Mid- 
ianites  had  carried  Joseph  so  many  years  before. 

On  and  on  they  went.  At  last  they  came  to  the  frontier. 
The  customs  official  stopped  them  and  inquired  their  busi¬ 
ness,  and  when  he  found  out  what  it  was,  sent  them  on  to 
the  man  in  charge  of  the  food  supplies.  And  that  man  was 
Joseph,  the  brother  whom  they  had  hated  and  sold  to  be  a 
slave ! 

But  the  brothers  did  not  know  that  the  great  Zaphenath- 

199 


200 


JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 


paneah  was  Joseph.  They  did  not  expect  to  find  him  in  a 
palace,  in  a  position  of  great  honor.  If  they  had  thought  it 
was  Joseph  whom  they  were  to  meet,  they  would  have  turned 
and  run  away. 

As  they  came  near  the  great  man  they  bowed  down  to 
the  ground  before  him,  doing  obeisance,  with  their  faces 
to  the  earth.  Joseph  stood  before  them.  He  had  changed  in 
the  years  that  had  passed.  He  was  dressed  in  rich  Egyptian 
garments.  He  wore  the  strange  headdress  which  Egyptian 
nobles  wore.  This  man,  about  forty  years  old,  was  very 
different  from  the  lad  of  seventeen.  The  ten  brothers  did 
not  know  him.  But  he  knew  them.  They  had  not  changed 
so  much.  They  were  in  the  same  kind  of  shepherd  garments. 
There  were — how  many  were  there?  Ten.  Joseph  won¬ 
dered  about  Benjamin.  Had  they  treated  his  younger 
brother  as  they  had  treated  him?  Were  they  any  better  men 
than  they  had  been?  Quickly  he  made  up  his  mind.  They 
did  not  know  him.  He  would  not  tell  them  who  he  was  until 
he  tested  them.  He  thought  of  the  dreams  that  he  had 
dreamed  so  many  years  before,  when  he  had  thought  that 
the  sheaves  of  wheat  had  bowed  before  him.  Genesis  37  :5-8. 

“Where  do  you  come  from?”  he  asked  his  brothers 
roughly. 

“  From  the  land  of  Canaan,  to  buy  food,”  they  answered. 

“You  are  not  telling  the  truth,”  said  Joseph.  “You  are 
spies,  who  have  come  to  find  where  the  land  of  Egypt  is 
weak.” 

“  No,  no,  my  lord,”  they  replied.  “  We  are  all  the  sons  of 
one  man.  If  we  had  come  to  spy  out  the  land,  we  should 
not  all  have  come.” 

“  You  are  spies,”  Joseph  still  insisted. 

Then  the  brothers  told  Joseph  what  he  really  wanted  to 
know,  about  Jacob  and  Benjamin. 

“  We  thy  servants  are  twelve  brethren,  the  sons  of  one 
man  in  the  land  of  Canaan,”  they  said;  “and,  behold,  the 
youngest  is  this  day  with  our  father,  and  one  is  not.” 

Joseph  must  have  been  glad  to  hear  this  news.  His  heart 
must  have  leaped  for  joy.  But  still  he  pretended  not  to 
believe  them.  He  put  them  in  prison  for  three  days. 

Then  he  sent  for  them  and  gave  them  a  command. 

“If  you  are  true  men,”  he  said,  “  I  will  let  you  go  and 


JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 


201 


carry  grain  to  your  father.  But  one  of  you  must  remain 
here" in  prison.  And  if  you  bring  back  your  youngest  brother 
later,  to  show  that  your  words  are  true,  the  man  I  have  kept 
shall  be  freed.” 

The  brothers  looked  at  one  another.  They  spoke  in  their 
own  language,  not  knowing  that  Joseph  could  understand 
them. 

“We  were  guilty  about  our  brother  Joseph,”  they  said. 
“  Now  we  are  being  punished.” 

“  Didn’t  I  warn  you  ?  ”  asked  Reuben.  “  I  told  you  that 
we  would  have  to  pay  for  our  sin.” 

They  did  not  know  that  Joseph  understood  what  they 
were  saying.  But  he  did,  and  he  had  to  turn  away  from 
them,  to  hide  his  tears.  Nevertheless  he  took  Simeon  from 
their  number  and  bound  him  before  them.  He  ordered  his 
men  to  fill  their  sacks  with  grain.  Secretly  he  commanded 
that  each  man's  money  be  put  in  his  sack.  Then  he  com¬ 
manded  them  to  go. 

Sadly  the  brothers  started  out — nine  of  them,  now.  What 
should  they  tell  their  father?  What  was  the  meaning  of  the 
strange  treatment  that  they  had  received  at  the  hands  of  the 
great  Egyptian  ruler? 

On  and  on  they  plodded,  over  the  desert  way.  One  night, 
as  one  of  them  opened  his  sack  to  give  his  ass  food,  he  found 
the  money  in  the  sack.  More  and  more  strange !  What 
could  be  the  meaning  of  all  this? 

Soberly  they  returned  home.  They  told  Jacob  all  that 
had  happened  to  them. 

“  And  it  came  to  pass  as  they  emptied  their  sacks,  that, 
behold,  every  man’s  bundle  of  money  was  in  his  sack:  and 
when  they  and  their  father  saw  their  bundles  of  money, 
they  were  afraid.  And  Jacob  their  father  said  unto  them, 
Me  have  ye  bereaved  of  my  children:  Joseph  is  not,  and 
Simeon  is  not.  and  ye  will  take  Benjamin  away:  all  these 
things  are  against  me.” 

Jacob  would  not  be  comforted.  He  did  not  yet  know 
what  God  was  planning  for  his  people. 

Handwork 

Make  a  poster  which  shows  that  you  know  something 
about  Egypt.  Perhaps  you  can  use  as  your  guide  the  picture 


202 


JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 


given  on  this  page.  Use  deep  blue  paper  for  the  sky,  and 
yellow-gray  paper  for  the  sandy  soil.  At  the  very  bottom 


paste  a  yellow  strip  to  represent  the  Nile  River.  Cut  out 
palm  trees,  pyramids,  and  houses  from  black  paper,  and 
paste  on  the  background. 

Notebook  Work 

The  Egyptians  used  a  queer  sort  of  picture  writing  called 
“  hieroglyphics.”  You  will  find  an  example  of  this  on  this 


page.  Copy  one  of  these  tablets  in  your  notebook  as  a  deco¬ 
ration,  and  write  a  description  of  how  you  think  Joseph 
looked  when  his  brothers  came  before  him. 

Map  Work 

Trace  again  on  the  map  the  journey  of  the  ten  brothers 
from  Canaan  to  Egypt. 

Expressional  Activity 

If  you  think  that  anyone  does  not  like  you  or  has  done 


JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 


203 


something  unkind  to  you,  try  this  week  to  return  good  for 
evil,  and  to  do  something  kind  for  him. 

Memory  Work 

Learn  these  words  of  the  old  apostle  John,  the  follower 
of  Jesus : 

“  Whosoever  doeth  not  righteousness  is  not  of  God, 
neither  he  that  loveth  not  his  brother.  For  this  is  the  mes¬ 
sage  which  ye  heard  from  the  beginning,  that  we  should  love 
one  another.” — I  John  3:10,  11. 


SUNDAY  SESSION 

JOSEPH  FORGIVES  HIS  BROTHERS 
Genesis  45  :l-24 
The  Memory  Verse 

“  Jehovah  will  keep  thy  going  out  and  thy  coming  in 
From  this  time  forth  and  for  evermore.” 

— Psalm  121 :8. 


The  Lesson  Story 

Day  after  day  went  by.  In  Egypt  there  was  still  a  famine, 
and  in  Canaan,  too.  In  Jacob’s  home  in  Hebron,  the  grain 
which  his  sons  had  brought  from  Egypt  was  used.  They 
would  die  of  starvation  if  they  did  not  go  back  to  the  land 
where  there  was  plenty  of  food  stored  up. 

“  Go  down  to  Egypt  again,  and  buy  food,”  Jacob  begged. 

“  We  cannot  go  without  Benjamin,”  they  answered.  “  The 
man  there  told  us  that  he  would  not  see  us  again  unless  we 
brought  our  youngest  brother.” 

“  Why  did'  you  tell  him  that  you  had  a  brother?”  asked 
Jacob.  He  was  afraid  that  Benjamin  would  be  taken  away 
from  him  as  Joseph  had  been  taken,  and  as  Simeon  had  been. 
Finally,  however,  he  agreed  to  let  Benjamin  go  with  his 
brothers.  Loaded  with  gifts  and  double  money,  they  re¬ 
turned  again  over  the  long  desert  road  to  Egypt.  Again 
they  came  to  the  frontier  city  and  again  they  were  sent  be¬ 
fore  the  great  ruler,  Zaphenath-paneah. 


204 


JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 


When  Joseph  saw  his  brothers  before  him,  with  Benjamin 
with  them,  he  was  glad.  Quickly  he  ordered  a  feast  pre¬ 
pared.  He  gave  a  command  that  his  brothers  be  brought  to 
his  own  house.  He  listened  to  their  story  and  freed  Simeon. 
He  gave  them  a  great  feast,  but  even  though  he  could  hardly 
keep  from  tears,  he  did  not  yet  make  himself  known  to  them. 
He  was  not  yet  sure  that  they  were  different  men  from  those 
they  had  been  when  they  sold  him  into  slavery.  He  must  be 
sure  how  they  felt  toward  Benjamin. 

So,  when  he  sent  them  away,  he  had  his  own  silver  cup 
hidden  in  Benjamin’s  bag,  together  with  his  money.  Then, 
as  soon  as  they  were  gone,  Joseph  sent  his  steward  after 
them  and  accused  them  of  stealing  the  cup. 

Of  course  the  brothers  declared  that  they  were  innocent. 
They  really  knew  nothing  about  the  cup. 

“  We  are  honest  men,”  they  said.  “  We  brought  back  the 
money  for  the  grain  that  we  had  before,  that  we  found  in 
our  sacks  when  we  got  home.  If  you  find  the  cup  in  the 
possession  of  any  of  us,  let  him  die.” 

Quickly  they  opened  the  grain  sacks.  There,  in  Benja¬ 
min’s  bag,  was  the  cup!  What  should  they  do? 

They  returned  to  Joseph’s  palace  and  fell  on  their  faces 
before  him.  Judah  made  a  plea  for  Benjamin.  He  offered 
to  take  the  youngest  brother’s  place.  The  sons  of  Jacob 
showed  that  they  really  had  changed  in  the  years  that  had 
passed. 

Joseph  could  no  longer  hide  who  he  was.  He  sent  his  at¬ 
tendants  from  the  room  and  then  he  turned  to  his  brothers, 
weeping. 

“I  am  Joseph,”  he  said  simply.  “Doth  my  father  yet 
live?” 

At  first  the  brothers  were  frightened.  They  knew  how 
greatly  they  had  wronged  Joseph.  They  could  hardly  believe 
that  he  would  forgive  them. 

But  Joseph  spoke  so  kindly  to  them  that  at  last  they  be¬ 
lieved  in  his  forgiveness. 

“  God  saved  me,”  he  said.  “  God  sent  me  before  you  to 
save  you  alive.  And  now  get  ready  to  go  back  to  Canaan. 
Go  to  our  father  and  tell  him  that  I  am  alive  and  ruler  it; 
Egypt.  There  are  yet  five  more  years  of  famine  to  come, 


JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS  205 

Bring  our  father  thither,  and  come  yourselves  with  your 
families.” 

The  news  about  Joseph’s  brothers  spread  to  the  palace.  It 
came  to  the  ears  of  Pharaoh  himself,  and  he  was  glad  be¬ 
cause  Joseph  was  glad.  He,  too,  urged  that  Jacob  and  his 
family  should  come  to  Egypt.  He  sent  wagons  by  which 
they  could  come  back. 

And  so  it  happened  that  Jacob’s  eleven  sons  returned  to 
Canaan,  loaded  with  food  and  money  and  gifts  of  all  sorts. 
For  Jacob  himself  there  were  ten  asses  loaded  with  the  good 
things  of  Egypt  and  ten  loaded  with  grain  and  provisions. 

Surely  God  was  bringing  a  blessing  upon  his  chosen  family 
and  was  saving  their  lives  in  a  strange  and  wonderful  way ! 

Putting  the:  Lesson  Into  tiie  Life  of  the  Class 

Joseph  forgave  his  brothers  for  the  evil  that  they  had  done 
to  him.  We,  too,  should  forgive  those  who  are  unkind  to  us. 

Joseph  knew  that  God  had  been  his  Guide  during  all  his 
adventures.  We,  too,  know  that  God  is  our  Guide.  We 
should  trust  him,  whatever  happens,  as  Joseph  did. 

The  sons  of  Jacob  had  learned  a  lesson  of  love  in  the 
years  that  had  passed  since  they  had  sold  Joseph  and  de¬ 
ceived  their  father.  Because  they  showed  that  they  loved 
their  father  and  their  brother  Benjamin,  they  won  Joseph’s 
forgiveness.  By  love,  we  can  conquer  all  things. 

The  Lesson  Truth  in  Your  Life 

Joseph,  who  lived  many  years  before  Jesus  did,  taught  also 
the  lesson  of  forgiveness.  Let  us  forgive  those  who  trespass 
against  us,  so  that  we  may  say  with  all  our  hearts  the  words 
of  The  Lord’s  Prayer,  “  Forgive  us  our  debts,  as  we  forgive 
our  debtors.” 


A  Story  to  Read 

Joseph  was  glad  when  he  heard  that  his  brothers  were 
back  again,  and  that  they  had  brought  his  own  dear  brother 
with  them,  tie  was  so  pleased  that  he  resolved  to  have  them 
all  to  dine  with  him  at  his  own  house.  Pulling  his  black  wig 
down  over  his  brow,  he  ordered  them  to  be  brought  in ;  and 
as  they  came  kneeling  before  him,  it  was  not  on  old  Judah  or 


206 


JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 


kind  Reuben,  but  on  Benjamin  with  the  ruddy  cheeks,  that 
he  fixed  his  searching  eyes.  His  brother  had  grown  so  much 
that  he  could  hardly  recognize  the  little  boy  who  used  to  run 
about  the  camp  holding  him  by  his  hand  as  he  took  him  to  see 
the  little  lambs  at  play,  and  the  small  black  kids,  and  the 
doves,  and  the  chickens. 

“  Take  these  men  to  my  house,  for  I  shall  dine  with  them 
at  midday/’  was  all  he  said.  The  brothers  were  amazed 
when  this  order  was  explained.  And  when  the  gates  of  his 
courtyard  closed  behind  them,  they  believed  they  were  prison¬ 
ers  again,  and  sat  down  on  the  stone  pavement  to  sigh  and 
mourn. 

At  midday  there  came  a  loud  knocking  at  the  gate,  and  the 
red-and-green  chariot  of  the  great  Egyptian  drove  in,  and 
soon  they  were  summoned  to  stand  before  him.  With  their 
simple  presents  in  their  hands,  they  went  through  the  garden 
and  into  his  beautiful  house  and  kneeling,  laid  them  at  his 
feet. 

“Is  your  father  well?”  the  great  man  asked  in  a  kind 
voice.  “  The  old  man  of  whom  you  spoke — is  he  still  alive  ?  ” 

“  Thy  servant  our  father  is  alive  and  in  good  health,”  they 
answered  humbly. 

“  Is  this  your  younger  brother,  of  whom  you  spoke?  ”  he 
asked,  speaking  as  if  he  did  not  know  one  from  another. 
Beniamin  answered  with  a  low  bow,  and  Joseph  added, 
“  May  God  be  gracious  to  thee,  my  son !  ”  When  Benjamin 
looked  up  at  him,  Joseph  felt  the  tears  coming  into  his  eyes, 
and  rising  suddenly  from  his  chair,  to  the  surprise  of  the 
men  he  hurriedly  left  the  hall.  They  did  not  know  why. 
But  if  they  had  seen  him  in  his  own  room  weeping  like  a 
child  for  very  joy,  they  would  have  been  more  astonished 
still. 

The  dinner  came,  and  the  ten  brothers  were  surprised 
when  the  Egyptian  ruler  arranged  them  at  a  table  all  in  the 
order  of  their  ages ;  and  yet  they  did  not  suspect  who  he 
was.  Joseph  sat  at  a  table  by  himself,  with  a  beautiful  silver 
wine  cup  before  him,  and  he  sent  plates  of  choice  food  to 
each  of  his  brothers,  sending  Benjamin  five  times  as  much 
as  any  of  the  rest.  Still  they  suspected  nothing.  The  slaves 
put  wreaths  of  blue  convolvulus  and  red  poppies  round  their 
necks,  and  kept  their  plates  well  supplied  with  roast  fowl. 


JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 


207 


fried  fish,  and  venison,  pastry,  fruits,  and  sweetmeats,  and 
their  cups  filled  with  red  and  white  wine,  so  that  they  en¬ 
joyed  themselves  very  much. —  (Robert  Bird,  in  One  Hun¬ 
dred  Bible  Stories  for  Children.) 


EXPRESSIONAL  SESSION 

RETURNING  GOOD  FOR  EVIL 
II  Kings  6:18-23 

Suggestions  for  the  Leader’s  Opening  Address 

Joseph’s  brothers  had  tried  to  do  him  harm,  although, 
because  God  intended  this  for  good,  their  wicked  act  did  not 
result  as  they  expected  it  to  do.  But  Joseph  did  not  take 
vengeance  upon  them.  He  had  no  feeling  of  revenge  in  his 
heart.  He  returned  good  for  evil. 

Hundreds  of  years  after  the  time  of  Joseph,  an  enemy  was 
attacking  the  people  of  Israel.  Elisha,  God’s  prophet, 
warned  the  king  of  Israel  again  and  again  of  what  the 
soldiers  of  the  enemy  were  going  to  do.  At  last  God  struck 
them  for  a  time  with  blindness  and  while  they  could  not  see, 
Elisha  led  them  straight  into  Samaria,  the  city  of  the  Israel¬ 
ites.  But  the  people  of  Israel  did  not  harm  the  enemy  sol¬ 
diers.  Instead,  they  were  feasted  with  good  things  and  sent 
home  in  safety.  And  after  that,  for  many  years,  there  was 
peace  in  Israel.  The  people  of  God  had  won  it  not  by  fight¬ 
ing,  but  by  returning  good  for  evil. 

And  many  years  later  yet,  Jesus  taught  the  same  lesson  of 
returning  good  for  evil,  of  turning  the  other  cheek.  Even 
on  the  cross,  he  said  about  those  who  killed  him,  “  Father, 
forgive  them  ;  for  they  know  not  what  they  do.”  Let  us  ask 
God  to  help  us  to  follow  the  example  of  those  who  have 
returned  good  for  evil. 

The  Class  Prayer 

Our  Father  who  art  in  heaven,  help  us  to  forgive  and  for¬ 
get  the  unkind  things  that  we  think  have  been  done  to  us. 
Help  us  to  return  good  for  evil  as  Joseph  did  and  as  Elisha 
did  and  as  Jesus  did.  For  Jesus’  sake  we  ask.  Amen. 


208 


JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 

Verses  for  Use  in  the  Meeting 

Proverbs  20  :22  ;  25  :21,  22 ;  24 :29  ;  Romans  12 :17,  19-21  ; 
Luke  6  :27-36  ;  Ephesians  4:31,  32. 

Hymns  that  May  Be  Used  in  Connection 
with  the  Meeting 

“  Saviour,  Give  Thy  Grace  to  Me.” 

“  Jesus,  Gentle  Saviour.” 

“  Jesus,  High  in  Glory.” 

“  Tesus,  Friend  of  Little  Children.” 

“  Jesus  Will  Help  Me.” 

“  My  Soul,  Be  on  Thy  Guard.” 

Questions  for  Use  in  the  Meeting 

1.  Why  did  Joseph’s  brothers  go  to  Egypt? 

2.  Tell  the  story  of  what  happened  on  their  first  visit. 

3.  Tell  the  story  of  what  happened  on  their  second  visit. 

4.  Why  did  Joseph  test  his  brothers? 

5.  Which  of  Joseph’s  brothers  do  you  like  best  in  this 
part  of  the  story?  Is  it  the  same  brother  as  in  Chapter 
XVII? 

6.  How  can  a  Junior  to-day  he  like  Joseph? 

7.  Have  you  ever  been  unkind  to  anyone?  How  did  that 
person  treat  you  ? 

8.  How  should  you  treat  one  who  you  think  has  been  un¬ 
kind  to  you? 

Topics  for  Discussion  or  Reports 

1.  The  Journey  of  Joseph’s  Brothers  to  Egypt. 

2.  Joseph  in  the  Palace. 

3.  How  the  Brothers  Treated  Joseph. 

4.  How  the  Brothers  Treated  Benjamin. 

5.  Forgiving  and  Forgetting. 

6.  Returning  Good  for  Evil. 

7.  Returning  Good  for  Evil  To-Day. 

To  Read  in  the  Meeting 

Joseph’s  true  nobleness  appears  in  his  love  for  his  broth¬ 
ers  who  had  so  wronged  him.  This  is  the  way  he  repaid 


.  JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 


209 


their  wickedness.  Though  he  lived  long  before  Christ  he 
showed  the  mind  of  Christ  in  all  his  treatment  of  his  broth¬ 
ers.  We  should  learn  the  duty  of  forgiving  those  who  have 
done  us  injury,  and  yet  of  seeking  at  the  same  time  their 
good.  We  may  also  see  in  Joseph  an  illustration  of  the  way 
in  which  Christ  does  with  sinners.  On  his  very  cross,  he 
prayed  for  his  murderers. — J.  R.  Miller. 

Think  truly,  and  thy  thoughts 
Shall  the  world’s  famine  feed ; 

Speak  truly,  and  each  word  of  thine 
Shall  be  a  fruitful  seed ; 

Love  truly,  and  thy  life  shall  be 
A  great  and  noble  creed. 

— Horatius  Bonar. 

“  He  that  cannot  forgive  others  breaks  the  bridge  over 
which  he  must  pass  himself.” 

“  Pray  for  a  short  memory  as  to  all  unkindness.” 


CHAPTER  XXI 

WEEK  DAY  SESSION 

THE  FAMILY  OF  ISRAEL  MOVES  INTO  EGYPT 

Genesis  46:1-7,  28  to  47 : 12 
The  Memory  Verse 

“  And  Israel  dwelt  in  the  land  of  Egypt,  in  the  land  of 

Goshen.” — Genesis  47 :27a. 

The  Lesson  Story 

THE  FAMILY  OF  JACOB  GOING  TO  EGYPT 
(A  Dramatization  of  the  Journey) 

Scene  I.  In  Hebron  (Outside  Jacob’s  tent.) 

Jacob:  (Peers  down  the  road  anxiously.)  My  daughter,  my 
daughter,  come  here!  Do  you  see  anyone  approaching? 

Dinah  :  No,  father,  there  is  no  one.  They  will  come  after 
while. 

Jacob  :  It  is  long  since  they  left  us.  If  any  harm  has  be¬ 
fallen  Benjamin,  I  shall  die.  One  hundred  and  thirty 
years  is  long  to  live,  Dinah ;  I  fear  I  shall  not  see  my 
sons  again.  (Shakes  head  sadly.) 

Dinah:  But  see,  father!  I  think  there  is  a  great  caravan 
coming.  See !  There  are  camels  and  wagons  and  asses. 
It  cannot  be  our  brothers,  but  perhaps  we  shall  have 
news  of  them.  Oh,  see !  There  is  Benjamin,  hastening 
ahead  of  the  rest !  They  are  all  here,  I  know ! 

Jacob:  Yes,  now  I  see  him!  Benjamin,  my  son,  my  son! 
Simeon,  too,  is  here!  and  Reuben  and  Judah  and  Zebu- 
lun.  All — all  but  Joseph,  who  is  not!  (Greetings  as 
the  sons  approach.) 

Benjamin:  But,  my  father,  Joseph  is  alive.  He  is  ruler  in 
Egypt. 


210 


JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 


211 


Jacob  :  It  cannot  be. 

Simeon:  Yes,  it  is  true.  See  the  rich  presents  he  has  sent 
you.  (Gifts  are  spread  before  Jacob — garments,  grain, 
and  so  on.) 

Judah  :  And  because  there  are  yet  five  years  of  famine,  he 
asks  that  you  come  to  Egypt,  where  he  may  care  for  you. 

Jacob  :  It  cannot  be. 

Gad:  Here  are  the  wagons  that  he  sent  for  you  and  for  our 
wives  and  children. 

Levi  :  Here  is  the  food  for  the  journey. 

Jacob:  It  is  enough;  Joseph  my  son  is  yet  alive;  I  will  go 
and  see  him  before  I  die. 

Scene  II.  The  Land  of  Goshen 

Jacob  comes  in,  followed  by  a  caravan.  Joseph  comes 

from  the  opposite  direction. 

Joseph:  My  father,  my  father!  You  are  here  safe,  from 
your  long  journey. 

Jacob  :  Joseph  !  It  is  Joseph,  my  son  !  Now  let  me  die  since 
I  have  seen  your  face  and  you  are  alive ! 

Joseph  :  I  will  go  to  Pharaoh  and  tell  him  that  you  have 
come. 

Jacob  :  Shall  we  go  before  the  great  ruler  ? 

Joseph:  Yes,  you  shall  go.  And  when  he  asks  you  what 
your  occupation  is,  say  that  you  are  keepers  of  cattle. 
Then  will  he  give  you  a  home  in  the  land  of  Goshen. 

Scene  III.  Ill  Pharaoh’s  Palace 

Pharaoh  is  sitting  on  the  throne.  Courtiers  with  him. 

Joseph  comes  in,  with  five  of  his  brothers. 

Pharaoh  :  What  wills  my  lord  Zaphenath-paneah  ? 

Joseph  :  Sire,  my  father  and  my  brethren  have  come  from 
the  land  of  Canaan,  with  all  their  flocks  and  herds,  and 
are  now  in  the  land  of  Goshen.  Here  with  me  are  five 
of  my  brethren.  (Brothers  bow  low  before  Pharaoh.) 


212 


JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 


Pharaoh:  What  is  your  occupation? 

Judah:  Sire,  we  are  keepers  of  cattle  as  our  fathers  were 
before  us.  There  is  no  food  for  us  or  for  our  flocks  in 
Canaan.  We  pray  thee,  let  us  dwell  in  the  land  of 
Goshen. 

Pharaoh  :  Let  it  be  as  you  have  asked.  Take  charge  of  my 
cattle,  also. 

Joseph  :  Sire,  my  father,  the  old  man  Jacob,  is  here. 

Piiaraoii  :  Bring  him  before  me.  (Joseph  and  the  broth¬ 
ers  bring  Jacob  into  the  room.  He  raises  his  hands  in 
blessing.) 

Jacob:  The  blessing  of  God  rest  upon  thee,  O  king. 

Pharaoh  :  Plow  many  are  the  days  of  the  years  of  thy  life? 

Jacob:  For  one  hundred  and  thirty  years  I  have  lived,  sire, 
and  the  days  have  seemed  few  and  short. 

Pharaoh  :  And  yet  they  have  been  long.  Go  with  thy  sons, 
old  man,  and  live  in  peace  in  the  land  of  Goshen. 

Jacob:  Again  I  say  to  thee,  God’s  blessing  be  upon  thee. 

(Jacob,  Joseph,  and  the  five  brothers  go  out  of  the  room. 

Pharaoh  and  his  Courtiers  follow.) 

Handwork 

Preparing  the  costumes  for  this  dramatization  as  your 

teacher  directs. 


Notebook  Work 

Complete  any  unfinished  work  in  your  notebook. 

Exfressionae  Activity 
Acting  out  the  dramatization  above. 

Memory  Work 

Learning  the  parts  of  the  dramatization  above. 


213 


JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 

SUNDAY  SESSION 

THE  CHILDREN  OF  ISRAEL  IN  EGYPT 
Genesis  47  :27-31  ;  chapter  50 
The  Memory  Verse 

“God  meant  it  for  good.” — Genesis  50:20. 

The  Lesson  Story 

Slowly  the  live  remaining  years  of  famine  passed.  Jacob 
and  his  sons  and  daughters,  his  grandchildren,  and  his 
servants,  all  lived  in  peace  and  plenty  in  the  land  of  Goshen. 
They  grew  rich  and  prosperous.  For  seventeen  years  they 
lived  together,  but  Jacob  was  an  old  man — one  hundred  and 
forty-seven  years  old.  He  knew  that  he  had  not  much  longer 
to  live,  so  he  called  Joseph  to  him,  and  made  one  request. 
He  asked  that  when  he  died,  his  body  should  be  taken  back 
to  the  Land  of  Promise,  and  buried  there.  He  blessed 
Joseph’s  two  sons,  Manasseh  and  Ephraim.  He  gave  them 
a  share  of  the  inheritance  equal  to  that  of  his  own  sons. 
Then  he  called  to  him  all  his  sons.  He  spoke  his  farewell 
words  to  them,  and  died. 

Joseph  remembered  his  promise  to  his  father.  He  told 
Pharaoh  what  Jacob  had  wanted  him  to  do,  and  the  king 
granted  permission  that  the  Children  of  Israel  should  bury 
their  father  in  the  land  of  Canaan.  A  great  company  moved 
across  the  desert  way,  in  honor  of  the  old  patriarch — many 
of  the  important  men  of  Egypt  and  Jacob’s  sons  and 
daughters  and  grandchildren.  They  buried  Jacob  in  the  cave 
of  Machpelah  where  his  grandfather  Abraham  and  his 
grandmother  Sarah  and  his  father  and  mother  had  been 
buried.  And  there,  even  to  this  day,  may  be  seen  the  tomb 
of  Jacob. 

The  family  returned  to  Egypt.  Then  the  ten  brothers 
were  troubled.  Now  that  their  father  was  dead,  they  feared 
their  brother  Joseph.  They  could  not  believe  that  his  for¬ 
giveness  was  real ;  that  it  came  from  his  heart.  They  sent  to 
him  and  asked  again  for  forgiveness. 

Joseph  was  grieved  that  his  brothers  were  still  afraid  of 
him. 

“Am  I  in  the  place  of  God?”  he  asked.  “You  meant 


214 


JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 


evil,  but  God  meant  it  for  good.  Do  not  be  afraid.  I  will 
take  care  of  you  and  your  families.” 

Joseph  was  seventeen  years  old,  you  remember,  when  he 
was  taken  as  a  slave  to  Egypt.  He  was  thirty  years  old  when 
he  went  before  Pharaoh.  He  must  have  been  almost  forty 
when  his  brothers  came  to  Egypt.  He  lived  to  be  one  hun¬ 
dred  and  ten  years  old.  During  all  those  years  he  was  rich 
and  prosperous.  He  was  surrounded  by  luxury.  The 
Egyptians  with  whom  he  lived  worshiped  idols  and  strange 
gods.  But  always  Joseph  was  true  to  the  God  of  Abraham, 
Isaac,  and  Jacob.  Pie  never  turned  from  the  right  course. 
Always  he  remembered  God’s  promise.  When  the  time  came 
for  him  to  die  he  called  his  brothers  and  said  to  them :  “  God 
will  surely  visit  you,  and  bring  you  up  out  of  this  land  unto 
the  land  which  he  sware  to  Abraham,  to  Isaac,  and  to  Jacob. 
.  .  .  Ye  shall  carry  up  my  bones  from  hence.” 

So  Joseph  died,  trusting  always  in  God  and  trying  always 
even  in  a  strange  land  among  strange  people  to  do  God’s  will. 

Putting  the  Lesson  Into  the  Life  of  the  Class 

Joseph  was  true  to  God  even  in  a  strange  land,  where  the 
people  did  not  believe  as  he  believed.  Are  you  always  “  true 
to  your  colors,”  wherever  you  are?  When  you  are  with  boys 
who  swear,  do  you  swear,  too?  When  you  are  with  girls 
who  gossip,  do  you  gossip,  too  ? 

Joseph  believed  from  his  heart  that  in  some  way  God’s 
promises  would  be  carried  out.  That  is  a  lesson  for  Juniors 
of  to-day.  God  has  promised  us  many  good  things  if  we 
obey  him.  We  should  be  sure  that  his  promises  will  come 
true.  “  Trust  and  obey,”  and  he  will  bring  his  promises  to 
pass. 

Joseph’s  forgiveness  of  his  brothers  was  real,  and  from  his 
heart.  He  forgave  and  forgot.  That  is  how  we  should  act 
toward  those  who  have  injured  us  in  any  way.  We  should 
forgive  them  and  put  out  of  mind  the  injury  that  they  have 
done  to  us. 

The  Lesson  Truth  in  Your  Life 

Joseph’s  life  is  an  example  to  us  in  many  ways:  his  cour¬ 
age,  his  faith,  his  loyalty,  his  trustworthiness,  his  generosity. 
We  shall  try  to  remember  these  things  and  make  them  parts 
of  our  own  lives. 


JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 


215 


The  Character  oe  Joseph 

The  character  of  Joseph  was  a  character  which  would  win 
success  in  all  times  and  in  all  lands.  Its  foundation  stone 
was  faith  in  God,  and  on  this  foundation  were  laid  other 
good  qualities  that  boys  and  girls  of  all  ages  and  all  times 
can  imitate. 

Faith  in  God  was  the  base  stone  of  his  character.  On  this 
were  laid : 

1.  Love  for  his  father,  shown  when  he  was  a  boy,  and 
when  he  was  a  man. 

2.  Absolute  honesty  in  every  position  in  which  he  was 
placed. 

3.  Unselfishness. 

4.  Humility.  He  always  knew  and  told  others  that  his 
wisdom  and  power  came  from  God. 

And  on  these  stones  of  character  were  laid  others  which 
boys  and  girls  of  to-day  would  do  well  to  lay  in  building  up 
their  lives. 

1.  Resolution. 

2.  Enterprise. 

3.  Faithfulness  in  little  things. 

4.  Patience. 

5.  Perseverance. 

6.  Evenness  of  disposition. 

If  you  lay  such  a  foundation,  your  life  will  be  a  success, 
as  Joseph’s  was. 

A  Blackboard  Drawing 


^access 


Z/jfcrj’rise 


Z*ove  "for 
T&rher' 


faithful¬ 
ness  In 
L/ft/e 


/fo/rcsfy 


Tat 


once 


Tcnscvere/ia 


S/rSe/f/s/f- 
ness" 


"Even¬ 
ness  of 

Dispo¬ 

sition 


/-/(/sniffy 


f-<s/fl7  //r  God 


216  JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 

EXPRESSIONAL  SESSION 

WAYS  IN  WHICH  JUNIORS  MAY  IMITATE 

JOSEPH 

The  Material  of  Chapters  XVII  to  XXI 

Suggestions  tor  the  Leader  s  Opening  Address 

For  five  weeks  we  have  been  studying  stories  about 
Joseph,  the  boy  who  was  sold  as  a  slave,  but  who  rose  from 
his  condition  of  slavery  to  be  a  ruler  in  the  great  kingdom  of 
Egypt.  Even  in  a  foreign  land,  where  strange  gods  were 
worshiped,  he  continued  to  serve  the  true  God  about  whom 
he  had  learned  from  his  father.  Because  he  was  true  to  his 
faith,  God  helped  him  and  he  was  victorious  in  his  hard 
struggle.  We  Juniors  can  follow  his  example  in  many  ways 
and  try  to  be  like  Joseph,  whom  God  blessed  because  he  was 
his  true  follower. 


The  Class  Prayer 

O  God,  help  us  to  do  thy  will  as  Joseph  did  it  in  the  days 
of  long  ago.  Bless  us  as  he  was  blessed,  so  that  we,  too,  may 
be  a  blessing  to  those  with  whom  we  come  in  contact.  In 
Jesus’  name,  we  ask.  Amen. 

Verses  for  Use  in  the  Meeting 

Genesis  39:3,  21;  50:20;  Psalm  105:17-22;  Acts  7:9-16; 
Hebrews  11  :21,  22;  Psalms  1 ;  37 :37. 

Hymns  that  May  Be  Used  in  Connection 
with  the  Meeting 

Those  hymns  mentioned  in  connection  with  Chapters 
XVII  to  XXI. 

Questions  eor  Use  in  the  Meeting 

1.  Where  was  Joseph  born? 

2.  Describe  a  journey  that  he  made  when  he  was  a  lit¬ 
tle  boy. 

3.  Describe  a  journey  that  he  made  when  he  was 
seventeen. 


JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 


217 


4.  How  did  Joseph  become  ruler  in  Egypt? 

5.  Tell  the  story  of  Joseph  and  his  brothers. 

6.  How  can  a  Junior  to-day  follow  Joseph’s  example? 

7.  How  can  you  follow  his  example  this  week? 

Topics  for  Discussion  or  Reports 

Tell  in  what  ways  a  Junior  can  follow  Joseph’s  example 
in  these  positions : 

1.  Joseph  the  Good  Son. 

2.  Joseph  the  Good  Student. 

3.  Joseph  the  Good  Citizen. 

4.  Joseph  the  Good  Brother. 

5.  Joseph  the  Good  Friend. 

6.  Joseph  the  True  Worshiper  of  the  True  God. 

To  Read  in  the  Meeting 

Many  men  have  risen  to  positions  of  prominence  because 
they  have  done  the  things  that  Joseph  did,  because  they  have 
been  good  sons  and  brothers  and  citizens  and  students  and 
friends;  and  above  all  because  they  have  been  true  wor¬ 
shipers  of  the  true  God. 

James  A.  Garfield,  who  became  President  of  the  United 
States,  was  born  in  a  log  house  in  Ohio.  He  wanted  to  be  a 
sailor,  but  when  he  had  escaped  drowning  in  what  seemed  a 
miraculous  way,  he  decided  that  God  thought  his  life  worth 
saving,  and  that  he  ought  to  try  to  make  something  of  it. 
He  worked  hard  to  obtain  an  education ;  and  in  this  he  suc¬ 
ceeded.  He  became  President  of  the  United  States. 

Abraham  Lincoln,  studying  by  the  light  of  a  pine  wick  in 
a  log  cabin,  determined  that  with  God’s  help,  he,  too,  would 
make  something  of  his  life.  He  became  President  of  the 
United  States  and  one  of  the  greatest  men  that  the  world 
has  ever  known. 

Matthias  Baldwin,  the  builder  of  the  first  American  loco¬ 
motive,  struggled  for  many  years  before  he  became  the 
founder  of  the  great  business  which  still  bears  his  name, 
where  thousands  of  locomotives  are  built  each  year.  Mr. 
Baldwin  always  said  that  the  secret  of  his  success  was  his 
trust  in  God. 


218 


JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 


So  we  shall  find  that  the  greatest  men  of  the  world  have 
followed  the  example  of  Joseph.  They  have  trusted  God  and 
worked  hard.  Juniors  can  do  these  things,  too,  and  so  follow 
the  example  of  those  who  have  done  worth-while  things. 


CHAPTER  XXII 

WEEK  DAY  SESSION 

THE  CHILDREN  OF  ISRAEL  IN  EGYPT 
Exodus  1 : 1-14,  22 
The:  Memory  Verse 

“  And  the  Egyptians  made  the  children  of  Israel  to  serve.” 

— Exodus  1:13. 


The  Lesson  Story 

Joseph  was  dead.  The  Pharaoh  that  had  been  his  friend 
was  conquered  by  his  enemies,  and  Egypt  was  under  new 
government. 

In  all  the  struggle  for  the  throne,  the  children  of  Jacob, 
or  of  Israel,  as  they  were  generally  called,  had  little  part. 
They  lived  quietly  as  shepherds  and  herdsmen  in  the  land  of 
Goshen,  which  had  been  given  to  them  in  the  days  of  Joseph. 
There  had  been  seventy  of  Jacob’s  descendants  with  him 
when  the  old  patriarch  first  came  to  Egypt,  besides  his  at¬ 
tendants  and  servants.  Altogether  his  caravan  had  consisted 
of  about  three  thousand  men  and  women  and  children.  Dur¬ 
ing  the  two  hundred  and  sixty  years  which  passed  after 
Joseph’s  death,  in  the  peace  and  plenty  of  Goshen,  the  num¬ 
ber  of  the  descendants  of  Jacob  had  increased  greatly. 
There  were  at  this  time  probably  more  than  a  million  of 
them  living  in  the  very  best  of  the  land.  The  Egyptian 
rulers  began  to  be  afraid  of  them.  They  knew  that  the 
Children  of  Israel  were  not  of  the  same  race  as  they  were. 
They  knew  that  if  enemies  attacked  them  from  the  north¬ 
east,  by  way  of  Syria,  these  enemies  would  come  through  the 
land  of  Goshen,  and  would  probably  find  friends  in  the 
Children  of  Israel,  who  had  originally  come  from  the  same 
part  of  the  world.  They  planned  to  oppress  the  Children 
of  Israel. 


219 


220 


JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 


The  first  plan  was  to  make  them  work  harder  than  they  had 
ever  worked  before.  The  Pharaoh  of  this  time,  Ramses  II, 
was  building  great  store  cities — Pithom  and  Rameses.  He 
forced  the  Hebrews  to  be  his  slaves,  and  to  work  in  the 
building  of  these  cities.  Instead  of  the  life  in  the  open 
which  they  had  enjoyed  as  shepherds  and  herdsmen,  they 
were  made  to  work  in  the  clay  pits,  making  bricks,  watched 
constantly  by  an  overseer,  who  marked  each  pause  in  the 
work  with  a  crack  of  the  whip,  or  even  a  cut  on  the  back  or 
the  shoulders  of  the  man  who  was  daring  to  rest.  Day  after 
day  they  toiled  on.  They  dug  the  stiff  clay.  They  mixed 
and  kneaded  it  with  their  hands  and  feet.  They  molded  it. 
They  made  thousands  of  bricks  for  the  Pharaoh’s  store  cities, 


for  his  temples,  for  the  inclosing  walls,  for  his  tombs  and 
public  buildings,  and  even  for  private  houses.  They  worked 
from  morning  until  night  in  the  broiling  sun  of  Egypt — and 
still  their  numbers  increased.  God  had  promised  Abraham 
that  his  descendants  should  be  as  many  as  the  stars  in  the 
heavens  or  as  the  sands  on  the  seashore.  He  was  keeping 
his  promise. 

Then  Pharaoh  made  another  plan,  still  more  cruel  than 
the  first.  He  would  have  all  the  boy  babies  of  the  Hebrews 
killed.  In  that  way  he  would  destroy  all  the  people.  He 
issued  a  decree  that  all  the  boy  babies  should  be  drowned  in 
the  Nile.  Perhaps  he  pretended  that  the  god  of  the  Nile 
commanded  this.  He  would  destroy  all  the  Children  of 
Israel  in  some  way,  no  matter  how  cruel  it  was. 


221 


JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 
Handwork 

From  plasticine  or  clay  mold  a  few  bricks.  On  the  sand 
table  build  a  store  city  such  as  the  Hebrews  must  have 
helped  to  build.  To  find  out  something  about  this  read  the 
short  description  given  on  page  222. 

Notebook  Work 


Here  is  the  name  of  the  Pharaoh  of  the  Oppression, 
Ramses  II,  in  the  writing  which  the  Egyptians  used.  This 
writing  is  called  “  hieroglyphic,”  and  is  a  kind  of  picture 
writing. 


Map  Work 

Find  on  the  map  and  mark  Pithom  and  Rameses.  These 
are  two  of  the  store  cities  which  it  is  thought  that  the  Chil¬ 
dren  of  Israel  helped  to  build. 

Expressionae  Activity 

At  this  time  the  Egyptians  did  not  treat  kindly  the 
strangers  in  their  land.  Try  this  week  to  do  the  opposite, 
and  to  do  some  act  of  kindness  to  a  foreign  child  in  your 
school,  or  with  whom  you  play. 

Memory  Work 

The  Children  of  Israel  in  Egypt  worshiped  the  true  God. 
Learn  the  words  of  the  First  Commandment,  which  God 
gave  to  them  later,  through  Moses,  their  leader,  of  whom  we 
are  going  to  study  in  our  next  lessons. 

“  Thou  shalt  have  no  other  gods  before  me.” 


222  JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 

The  Store:  City  of  Pithom 

About  the  year  1883,  explorers  discovered  the  ruins  of  an 
ancient  Egyptian  city,  which,  they  think,  was  the  Pithom  of 
the  Bible.  The  buildings  were  of  brick,  on  some  of  which 
were  found  the  inscription  “  Pi  Turn.”  The  bricks  are  usu¬ 
ally  from  4  to  8  inches  square,  and  1^2  to  2  inches  thick. 
They  are  unbaked,  but  very  hard.  The  treasure  chambers 
occupy  almost  all  the  old  city,  whose  walls  are  650  feet 
square,  and  22  feet  thick.  The  ‘whole  space,  so  it  is  said, 
was  divided  into  rooms,  each  with  brick  walls  eight  to  ten 
feet  thick,  but  with  no  doors  or  windows.  What  seems  espe¬ 
cially  strange  and  a  proof  that  this  is  the  very  city  in  which 
the  Children  of  Israel  worked,  is  the  fact  that  the  lower 
parts  of  these  walls  are  of  well-made  bricks,  with  chopped 
straw  in  them,  but  that  higher  up  the  bricks  are  not  so  good, 
and  the  straw  is  long  and  scanty,  while  the  bricks  at  the  very 
top  have  no  straw  at  all,  but  sedges  and  rushes  and  other 
water  plants,  instead.  You  will  find  out  more  about  this  in 
Chapter  XXIV. 


SUNDAY  SESSION 

THE  EARLY  LIFE  OF  MOSES 
Exodus  2:1-10 
The  Memory  Verse 

“  And  Moses  was  instructed  in  all  the  wisdom  of  the 
Egyptians ;  and  he  was  mighty  in  his  words  and  works.” 

— Acts  7 :22. 

The  Lesson  Story 

“  He’s  such  a  pretty  baby,  mother !  Do  you  think  that 
the  Egyptians  will  really  want  to  kill  him  ?  ” 

“  I’m  afraid  so,  dear.  Just  because  he  is  a  godly  child, 
they  will  want  even  more  to  destroy  him.”  And  mother 
Jochebed  picked  up  the  baby  who  had  begun  to  whimper, 
and  quieted  him. 

“  Hush,  hush,  my  child,”  she  said.  “  Keep  him  quiet, 
Miriam,  while  I  get  ready  father’s  supper.  Poor  father! 


JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 


223 


He  is  always  so  tired  after  his  day’s  work  in  the  clay  pits ! 
And  now,  since  the  taskmasters  make  them  get  their  own 
straw  for  their  bricks,  things  are  so  much  harder.” 

Mother  hurried  about  her  task.  Nine-year-old  Miriam 
rocked  the  baby  and  watched  three-year-old  Aaron  as  he 
played  about  the  clay  floor  of  the  hut  in  which  the  family 
lived. 

Amram,  the  father,  was  a  descendant  of  Jacob’s  son  Levi. 
His  wife  was  Jochebed,  and  they  had  three  children — - 
Miriam,  Aaron,  and  the  baby,  who  was  now  three  months 
old.  But  on  account  of  the  cruel  decree  of  the  king  that 
all  boy  babies  of  the  Hebrews  should  be  killed,  they  could 
not  rejoice  over  the  baby.  They  had  to  keep  him  hidden. 
Now  he  was  getting  too  old  to  hide  much  longer.  Some¬ 
thing  must  soon  be  done. 

Jochebed  was  wise.  She  made  a  plan  to  save  her  baby 
boy.  One  morning  she  called  Miriam  to  her. 

“  See,”  she  said.  “  I  have  woven  a  basket  of  the  river 
reeds.  I  am  going  to  make  it  water-tight.  Then  I  will  put 
the  baby  in  it,  and  set  it  in  the  river.  Perhaps  God  will 
save  him  for  us.  Rock  the  baby  to  sleep,  now,  dear.  Then 
we  will  do  as  I  have  said.” 

As  soon  as  the  baby  was  asleep,  they  put  him  quietly  into 
the  basket.  They  carried  it  gently  down  to  the  river.  They 
put  it  into  the  water. 

“  Now  watch,  Miriam,  and  see  what  happens  to  our  baby,” 
said  Jochebed.  Then  she  went  home,  praying  to  God  that  he 
would  take  care  of  her  beautiful  baby. 

Once  more  God  did  show  that  he  was  caring  for  the  Chil¬ 
dren  of  Israel.  The  daughter  of  the  king,  a  princess  named 
Thermuthis,  so  an  old  Greek  historian,  Josephus,  tells  us, 
came  down  to  the  river  to  bathe.  She  save  the  basket.  She 
sent  her  maids  to  find  out  what  it  was.  And  when  she  saw 
the  baby  in  the  basket,  her  heart  was  touched.  He  was  so 
pretty  and  so  sweet.  She  decided  to  save  his  life,  though 
she  knew  that  he  was  a  Hebrew  baby,  and  that  to  do  so 
would  be  to  disobey  her  father’s  command. 

“  I  will  call  him  ‘  Moses,’  ”  she  said,  “  because  I  have 
drawn  him  out  of  the  water.  What  shall  we  do  with  him  ? 
\\  e  must  get  a  nurse.” 

Miriam,  hidden  among  the  bulrushes  and  reeds  that  grew 


224 


JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 


along  the  river  bank,  was  listening.  God  must  have  helped 
her  to  know  that  this  was  the  time  to  act.  She  stepped  out 
from  her  hiding  place  and  spoke  to  the  princess. 

“  I  know  where  you  can  find  a  nurse  for  the  baby,”  she 
said. 

Probably  the  princess  saw  at  once  that  Miriam  knew  all 
about  the  baby,  but  she  did  not  seem  to  mind  that. 

“  Go  get  her,”  she  said.  And  of  course  Miriam  ran  at 
once  for  her  mother.  So  it  came  about  that  the  baby,  with 
a  new  name,  Moses,  was  taken  back  to  his  own  home,  where 
he  could  laugh,  and  cry,  and  play  and  crow  now,  as  much  as 
he  wanted  to,  because  he  was  in  the  care  of  the  princess 
Thermuthis,  the  daughter  of  the  king. 

Thermuthis  did  not  forget  Moses  as  he  grew  older.  She 
had  no  children  of  her  own,  and  she  considered  him  her 
own  son.  He  was  taken  to  the  court.  He  was  sent  to  school 
with  the  other  Egyptian  princes.  He  worked  hard  to  learn 
the  queer,  hieroglyphic  picture  writing.  He  learned  quickly, 
and  as  he  grew  up,  he  became  skilled  in  many  things  besides 
what  he  learned  from  his  books.  Perhaps  he  was  an  officer 
in  the  king’s  army.  He  was  rich  and  a  great  favorite.  Was 
it  was  possible  that  he  should  remain  true  to  the  true  God, 
or  would  he  turn  to  the  worship  of  the  idols  of  Egypt? 
That  was  the  great  question  that  he  had  to  decide. 

Putting  the:  Lesson  Into  the  Liee  oe  the  Class 

God  watched  over  the  baby  Moses  who  was  to  carry  on 
his  work  in  the  world.  He  watches  over  all  his  children  in 
the  world,  guarding  them  not  only  in  times  of  danger,  but 
all  the  time. 

Miriam  was  quick-witted  and  obedient.  She  cared  for  her 
baby  brother  as  her  mother  told  her  to  do.  You  Junior 
girls,  and  boys,  too,  can  help  in  home  duties,  such  as  caring 
for  the  baby  as  Miriam  did.  Do  you  do  it  willingly  and 
gladly  ? 

The  princess  was  kind  to  the  little  foreign  child.  Are  you 
kind  to  the  foreign  children  whom  you  meet  at  school  or  in 
your  play  ? 

The  Lesson  Truth  in  Your  Life 

God  takes  care  of  those  who  cannot  take  care  of  them- 


JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 


225 


selves,  but  he  often  uses  human  helpers  as  he  used  Miriam 
in  saving  Moses.  Do  you  do  your  part  as  God’s  helper? 


The:  Life:  of  a  Boy  in  Egypt 

The  old  Greek  historian  Josephus  says  that  the  boy  Moses 
was  a  very  handsome  child.  Everyone  was  struck  with  as¬ 
tonishment  at  his  appearance.  He  was  very  tall  for  his  age, 
full  of  spirit,  and  strong.  He  was  quick  and  eager  to  learn. 
Besides  all  these  things  he  was  the  adopted  son  of  the  prin¬ 
cess  Thermuthis.  His  mother,  it  is  said,  was  given  apart¬ 
ments  in  the  royal  palace.  They  had  many  attendants  and 
he  was  very  well  cared  for.  He  was  probably  brought  up 
in  the  Egyptian  fashion,  going  about,  as  other  Egyptian  boys 
did,  without  clothes  and  with  all  his  hair  shaved  off  except 
one  single  lock  at  the  side  of  his  head.  He  was  often  taken 
to  ride,  both  in  the  royal  carriage  and  in  the  royal  boats  on 
the  Nile.  He  was  trained  in  all  sorts  of  exercises  such  as 
wrestling,  ball-playing,  and  fencing. 

But  life  was  not  all  play  for  a  boy  in  Egypt,  particularly 
for  a  boy  in  one  of  the  royal  families.  He  was  trained  very 
carefully  for  his  position.  When  an  Egyptian  boy  of  this 
time  was  only  three  years  old,  his  education  began.  Tutors 
taught  him  to  read  and  to  write  the  queer,  hieroglyphic  writ¬ 
ing,  and  there  is  an  old  saying  of  the  time  that  tells  us,  “  A 
boy’s  ears  are  on  his  back,  and  he  hearkens  when  he  is 
beaten.”  How  would  you  like  that?  Many  model  letters  of 
these  days  have  been  found,  and  proverbs  and  other  wise  say¬ 
ings,  written  over  and  over  in  copy  books,  and  corrected  by 
the  teacher. 

Besides  reading  and  writing,  the  boy  learned  many  moral 
sayings.  He  studied  astronomy  and  mathematics.  It  seems 
queer  to  us  that  the  Egyptians,  with  all  their  learning,  could 
not  do  fractions  in  arithmetic.  They  never  learned  to  do  a 
problem  in  which  the  fraction  had  any  other  numerator  than 
one — except  just  one  single  fraction — /J.  They  could  add 
K  +  J<3  +  /4  H-  Lu  but  they  could  not  add  +  U*  •  They 
understood  algebra  and  some  geometry.  They  could  find  the 
area  of  a  circle,  but  not  of  a  trapezoid. 

When  Rioses  grew  older,  he  was  sent  to  the  University  of 
Heliopolis,  or  On,  where  Joseph’s  father-in-law,  you  remem- 


226 


JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 


ber,  had  been  priest.  Here  he  continued  his  studies  until 
he  “  was  instructed  in  all  the  wisdom  of  the  Egyptians ;  and 
he  was  mighty  in  his  words  and  works.”  So  God  made  him 
ready  for  his  work  in  the  world,  giving*  him  training  that  he 
could  not  have  had  as  the  son  of  Hebrew  slaves  in  Egypt. 


EXPRESSION AL  SESSION 

SOME  BIBLE  JUNIORS  WHOM  GOD  USED  AS 

HIS  HELPERS 

I  Samuel  3:17,  19;  II  Kings  5:1-4 

Suggestions  lor  the  Leader’s  Opening  Address 

Often  God  uses  children  as  his  helpers,  and  we  always 
want  to  be  ready  when  he  calls  us  to  do  his  will.  Miriam 
was  eight  or  nine  years  old  when  she  helped  to  save  her 
baby  brother.  Samuel  was  a  Junior  when  God  called  him  in 
the  tabernacle  and  gave  him  his  message.  The  little  Hebrew 
maid  in  Syria  was  God’s  messenger  to  Naaman,  the  Syrian 
general.  Juniors  to-day,  can  help  in  giving  God’s  message 
to  the  world.  With  their  offerings  they  can  help  the  mis¬ 
sionaries  who  go  out  into  the  world  to  preach  the  gospel  to 
every  creature.  By  their  own  actions  they  can  show  that 
they  are  followers  of  Jesus.  We  can  be  loving  and  obedient 
and  kind  in  every  way.  Let  us  ask  God  to  help  us  in  doing 
as  he  wants  us  to  do,  and  so  helping  on  the  work  of  the 
world. 


The  Class  Prayer 

Our  Father  who  art  in  heaven,  help  us  to  be  ready  to  do 
thy  errands  as  Samuel  was  ready  when  he  said,  “  Speak, 
Lord,”  or  as  Miriam  was,  or  the  little  Hebrew  maid  in  Syria. 
Help  us  to  show  by  our  lives  that  we  love  thee,  and  want  to 
help  in  thy  work  in  the  world.  Amen. 

Verses  eor  Use  in  the  Meeting 

Proverbs  20:11;  I  Corinthians  3:9;  Mark  10:14;  John 
6:8-12;  II  Kings  11:5-7;  12:2;  Acts  23:16-21. 


JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 


227 


Hymns  that  May  Be  Used  in  Connection  with 

the  Meeting 

“  O  Master,  Bet  Me  Walk  with  Thee.” 

“  Little  Children,  Love  Each  Other.” 

“  The  Fields  Are  All  White.” 

“  What  Art  Thou  Doing  for  Jesus?  ” 

“  I  Pledge  My  Spirit  Loyal.” 

“  I’ll  Go  Where  You  Want  Me  to  Go.” 

Questions  eor  Use  in  the  Meeting 

1.  Name  the  members  of  the  family  of  Moses. 

2.  In  what  ways  was  Moses’  mother  God’s  helper  ? 

3.  How  did  Samuel,  when  he  was  only  a  boy,  help  in 
God’s  work? 

4.  Tell  about  two  Junior  girls  of  the  Bible  who  helped. 

5.  How  can  you  help  in  God’s  work? 

6.  How  can  you  help  to-day  in  school? 

7.  How  can  you  help  to-day  at  home  ? 

Topics  eor  Discussion  and  Reports 

1.  Helping  as  Miriam  Helped. 

2.  Going  on  an  Errand  as  Samuel  Did. 

3.  Telling  Others  of  the  True  God  as  the  Little  Maid 
Did. 

4.  Doing  God’s  Will  Every  Day. 

5.  God  Speaking  to  a  Boy  of  the  Olden  Time. 

6.  How  God  Speaks  to  Boys  and  Girls  of  To-Day. 

To  Read  in  the  Meeting 

The  little  Israelite  maid  in  Syria  was  far  from  home,  but 
she  remembered  her  mother’s  teaching.  Samuel,  too,  and 
Miriam  were  well  taught  by  their  mothers.  And  they  re¬ 
membered  what  they  had  learned.  If  Juniors  would  always 
remember  their  mothers’  instructions  as  these  Bible  Juniors 
did,  they  would  be  better  off. 

Jesus  fed  five  thousand  people  with  the  five  loaves  and  the 
two  small  fishes  which  were  the  lunch  of  a  little  boy.  That 
little  boy  was  God’s  helper.  We  cannot  help  as  he  did,  but 


228 


JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 


we  can  listen  as  he  did  to  God’s  Word,  and  be  ready  to  help 
whene  the  opportunity  comes. 

Jesus  told  his  followers  that  a  cup  of  cold  water  given  in 
his  name  was  pleasing  to  him.  We  can  be  God’s  helpers  by 
helping  others.  “  Inasmuch  as  ye  did  it  unto  one  of  these 
my  brethren,  even  these  least,  ye  did  it  unto  me.” 

How  to  Help 

“  To  have  willing  feet, 

A  smile  that  is  sweet, 

A  kind,  pleasant  smile  for  all  that  you  meet, 

That’s  what  it  is  to  bo  helpful  i 

“  In  a  mild,  gentle  way, 

To  help  through  the  day, 

To  make  some  one  happy  in  work  or  in  play, 

That’s  what  it  is  to  be  helpful !  ” 

“  I  cannot  do  great  things  for  him 
Who  did  so  much  for  me, 

But  I  should  like  to  show  my  love, 

Dear  Jesus,  unto  thee; 

Faithful  in  very  little  things, 

O  Saviour,  may  I  be !  ” 


CHAPTER  XXIII 

WEEK  DAY  SESSION 

MOSES  FLEEING  FROM  EGYPT 
Exodus  2:11-25;  Acts  7 : 17-29 
The  Memory  Verse 

“  And  God  heard  their  groaning,  and  God  remembered 
his  covenant  with  Abraham,  with  Isaac,  and  with  Jacob.” 

• — Exodus  2  :24. 

The  Lesson  Story 

Moses  was  the  adopted  son  of  the  royal  princess  of  Egypt, 
but  because  God  had  planned  it  so,  he  was  also  a  loyal  He¬ 
brew.  He  might  have  forgotten  all  about  the  poor,  op¬ 
pressed  people  of  his  own  race.  But  he  did  not.  He  thought 
about  them.  As  he  grew  to  manhood  he  investigated  the 
way  in  which  they  were  treated.  Fie  became  angry,  and  de¬ 
cided  to  give  up  all  the  luxuries  and  pleasures  of  a  life  in 
the  court,  and  to  take  the  part  of  his  own  people. 

Moses  was  not  yet  ready,  however,  to  lead  the  Plebrews 
in  the  right  way.  He  showed  this  in  almost  the  first  thing 
that  he  did  in  trying  to  help. 

One  day  he  saw  an  Egyptian  striking  a  Hebrew.  He  lost 
his  temper.  He  killed  the  Egyptian  and  buried  him  in  the 
sand.  Moses  thought  that  no’  one  knew  what  he  had  done, 
but  some  one  did  know  and  it  was  told  among  the  Hebrews 
themselves,  and  even  to  Pharaoh.  Worst  of  all,  the  He¬ 
brews  did  not  believe  that  Moses  was  really  their  champion, 
and  Pharaoh  thought  that  he  was  a  traitor,  and  tried  to  kill 
him.  On  both  sides  he  was  unpopular !  He  had  to  flee  from 
the  country. 

Probably  he  left  behind  him  all  his  royal  robes  and  be¬ 
longings.  Dressed  as  a  Hebrew  of  the  lowest  rank,  he 
slipped  out  of  the  country.  He  went  east,  probably  along 
the  Gulf  of  Suez.  He  traveled  for  several  weeks  and  came 


229 


230 


JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 


at  last  to  the  land  of  Midian,  where  he  was  no  longer  in  the 
country  ruled  by  the  Egyptians.  Midian  was  the  home  of  a 
rich  and  powerful  people,  who  lived  a  shepherd  life,  wander¬ 
ing  as  they  needed  pasturage  for  their  flocks  from  one  part 
of  the  region  to  another. 

One  day  Moses  stopped  to  rest  by  a  well.  While  he  sat 
there,  the  seven  daughters  of  Reuel,  a  powerful  Midianite 
chief,  brought  their  flocks  to  water.  Other  shepherds  tried 
to  drive  them  away,  but  Moses  came  to  their  help,  and  took 
their  part.  The  sheep  and  cattle  were  soon  watered,  and 
when  the  daughters  of  Reuel  returned,  their  father  was 
surprised. 

“  How  is  it  that  you  have  come  back  SO'  soon?”  he  asked. 

“  An  Egyptian  helped  us,”  they  told  him. 

“  Where  is  he  ?  ”  the  father  questioned.  “  Why  did  you 
not  bring  him  with  you,  in  order  to  give  him  food?  ”  (Even 
to-day  these  desert  chiefs  of  the  East  are  hospitable  to 
strangers,  and  Reuel  who  lived  more  than  three  thousand 
years  ago,  showed  this  same  trait  of  character.)  So  Moses 
was  entertained  in  Reuel’s  encampment.  For  forty  years  he 
lived  there.  He  married  Reuel's  daughter,  Zipporah,  and 
they  had  two  sons,  Gershom  and  Eliezer. 

And  in  all  those  forty  years  while  Moses  was  in  Midian, 
the  Children  of  Israel,  back  in  Egypt,  toiled  and  struggled 
on.  “  God  heard  their  groaning,  and  .  .  .  remembered  his 
covenant.”  He  was  making  Moses  ready  to  deliver  them 
from  oppression. 

Handwork 

On  one  part  of  the  sand  table,  make  an  Egyptian  scene, 
with  pyramids,  palaces,  and  store  cities.  On  the  other  part, 
set  up  a  desert  encampment.  This  will  help  you  to  remem¬ 
ber  that  Moses  gave  up  the  pleasures  and  luxuries  of  life  in 
Egypt  for  the  sake  of  his  people,  the  Children  of  Israel. 

Notebook  Work 

Write  as  a  heading,  “  Some  of  the  Things  Which  the  New 
Testament  Tells  Us  About  Moses’  Choice.”  Then  copy  the 
words  of  Stephen,  Acts  7 :22-25,  and  of  the  writer  of  the 
Epistle  to  the  Hebrews,  Hebrews  11 :24-27. 


JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS  231 

Map  Work 

Find  the  land  of  Midian  on  the  map,  and  mark  the  way 
by  which  Moses  probably  reached  it.  He  probably  went 
along  parallel  to  the  East  coast  of  the  Gulf  of  Suez,  though 
he  would  not  touch  the  shore  for  a  very  long  distance.  He 
probably  reached  the  country  of  the  Midianites  near  the 
eastern  arm  of  the  Red  Sea. 

Expressionae  Activity 

Try  this  week  to  help  some  one  who  needs  your  help. 

Be  careful  not  to  lose  your  temper,  lest  you  get  into 
trouble  as  Moses  did. 


Memory  Work 

In  Egypt  the  Children  of  Israel  were  tempted  many  times 
to  worship  strange  gods.  Learn  the  words  which  the  true 
God  spoke  to  them  in  the  Second  Commandment. 

“  Thou  shalt  not  make  unto  thee  any  graven  image,  or 
any  likeness  of  any  thing  that  is  in  heaven  above,  or  that  is 
in  the  earth  beneath,  or  that  is  in  the  water  under  the  earth : 
thou  shalt  not  bow  down  thyself  to  them,  nor  serve  them  :  for 
I,  the  Lord  thy  God,  am  a  jealous  God,  visiting  the  iniquity 
of  the  fathers  upon  the  children  unto  the  third  and  fourth 
generation  of  them  that  hate  me ;  and  showing  mercy  unto 
thousands  of  them  that  love  me,  and  keep  my  command¬ 
ments.” 


SUNDAY  SESSION 

THE  BURNING  BUSH  AT  HOREB 
Exodus  3 : 1-14 
The  Memory  Verse 

“  Certainly  I  will  be  with  thee.” — Exodus  3:12a. 

The  Lesson  Story 

Moses  was  forty  years  old  when  he  fled  from  Egypt  to 
the  land  of  Midian.  For  forty  years  more  he  lived  in  this 


232 


JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 


strange  country ;  he  had  married ;  he  had  two  sons ;  he  lived 
the  simple  life  of  a  shepherd,  taking  care  of  the  flocks  of 
his  father-in-law,  who  was  named  Reuel,  or  Jethro.  (You 
remember  that  many  men  in  the  Bible  had  two  names. 
Often,  when  any  particular  event  in  their  lives  occurred  they 
were  called  by  a  new  name,  which  told  something  of  the 
event.  So  Abram’s  name  was  changed  to  “  Abraham,”  and 
Jacob  was  also  called  “  Israel.”  We  do  not  know  why 
Reuel  was  given  this  second  name;  Jethro  means  “his  ex¬ 
cellence,”  and  was  probably  his  honorary  title.) 

Moses  must  have  felt  that  his  plans  for  helping  the  Chil¬ 
dren  of  Israel  had  come  to  nothing.  He  must  have  given 
up  all  hope  in  those  forty  years  of  rescuing  them  from 
slavery.  Then,  one  day,  a  wonderful  thing  happened  to  him. 

He  was  out  on  Mount  Horeb,  “  the  mount  of  God,”  feed¬ 
ing  the  flocks  of  Jethro.  Suddenly  he  saw  a  strange  sight. 
Before  him  was  a  thorn  bush.  As  he  looked  at  it,  it  seemed 
to  be  on  fire — and  yet  it  was  not  burning  up.  He  said  to 
himself,  “  I  will  go  to  see  what  this  strange  sight  means.” 

The  burning  thorn  bush  was  truly  a  wonderful  sight,  for 
it  was  a  sign  to  Moses  from  God.  As  Moses  drew  near,  God 
himself  spoke  to  him  out  of  the  midst  of  the  bush. 

“  Moses,  Moses,”  he  said. 

“  Here  am  I,”  answered  Moses. 

“  Come  no  nearer,”  God  warned  him.  “  Put  off  thy  shoes 
from  off  thy  feet,  for  the  place  whereon  thou  standest  is  holy 
ground.  I  am  the  God  of  thy  father,  the  God  of  Abraham, 
the  God  of  Isaac,  and  the  God  of  Jacob.” 

As  Moses  heard  these  solemn  words,  he  was  frightened. 
He  hid  his  face. 

God  spoke  again.  “  I  have  seen  the  sorrows  of  the  Chil¬ 
dren  of  Israel,”  he  said.  “  I  am  ready  now  to  deliver  them 
and  to  lead  them  to  a  land  flowing  with  milk  and  honey — 
the  land  of  Canaan.  Come  now.  Thou  art  to  be  my  mes¬ 
senger.  I  will  send  thee  to  Pharaoh,  that  thou  mayest  bring 
forth  my  people  the  Children  of  Israel  out  of  Egypt.” 

Moses  felt  that  he  had  not  been  able  to  help  his  people 
before.  He  was  modest. 

“  Who  am  I  that  I  should  go  before  Pharaoh  and  that  I 
should  lead  the  Children  of  Israel  out  of  Egypt?  ”  he  asked. 

“  Certainly  I  will  be  with  thee,”  God  assured  him.  “  And 


JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 


233 


. 


I 

j 

1 

I 

. 

i 


this  shall  be  a  sign.  When  you  have  brought  the  people 
from  Egypt,  you  shall  serve  God  on  this  mountain.” 

Once  more  Moses  asked  a  question.  “  When  I  come  unto 
the  Children  of  Israel  and  give  them  this  message,  they  will 
ask  me,  ‘  What  is  the  name  of  the  God  who  has  sent  you 
to  us  ?  ’  What  shall  I  say  ?  ” 

Then  God  told  Moses  the  name  by  which  the  Hebrews 
were  to  know  him  forever. 

“  I  am  that  i  am,”  he  said.  “  Thus  shalt  thou  say  unto 
the  Children  of  Israel,  I  am  hath  sent  me.” 

Moses’  call  to  God’s  service  had  come.  He  was  eighty 
years  old.  For  forty  years  he  had  been  trained  in  all  the 
wisdom  of  the  Egyptians..  For  forty  years  more  he  had 
been  trained  in  the  wilderness.  Now  he  was  ready  to  do 
God’s  work. 


Putting  the  Lesson  Into  the  Life  of  the  Class 

Moses  spent  many  years  in  training  for  God’s  service  in 
the  wilderness.  We,  too,  must  be  trained,  so  that  we  shall 
be  ready  for  his  service. 

God  calls  his  people  of  to-day  to  his  service  just  as  he 
called  Moses.  Let  us  try  to  prepare  so  that  we  may  be 
ready  and  be  able  to  say,  “  Here  am  I,”  when  the  call  comes, 
as  did  Moses. 

God’s  call  comes  to  every  boy  and  girl.  “  Follow  thou 
me,”  he  says  to  each  of  us.  We  show  that  we  are  following 
him  by  the  lives  we  live,  by  joining  Church,  by  declaring 
publicly  that  we  are  his  followers. 

The  Lesson  Truth  in  Your  Life 

God  wants  me  to  serve  him.  I  will  show  by  my  life  and 
actions  that  I  have  heard  his  call  and  made  the  choice  to 
serve  him. 

Map  W  ORK 

Copy  the  outline  of  the  map  given  on  page  256.  Mark 
with  red  ink  Mount  Horeb,  where  Moses  was  when  God 
spoke  to  him  at  this  time. 

A  Modern  Call  to  Service 

It  was  in  the  year  1854.  England  and  France  were  fight¬ 
ing  in  the  Crimean  War  against  Russia.  Conditions  at  the 


234 


JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 


battle  front  were  terrible.  The  hospitals  and  the  medical 
department  of  the  army  were  in  a  disgraceful  state,  and 
sixty  per  cent  of  the  wounded  were  dying  from  lack  of  care 
and  from  filth. 

It  was  in  the  year  1854.  England  and  France  were  fight- 
aid  from  Florence  Nightingale,  who  later  was  called  by  the 
soldiers  “  the  angel  of  the  lamp.”  Within  six  days  she  had 
chosen  thirty-eight  nurses,  and  was  off  for  the  front.  In 
about  two  weeks,  she  had  the  hospitals  in  order.  The  build¬ 
ings  were  aired.  The  beds  of  the  soldiers  were  spotless. 
The  food  was  appetizing.  The  number  of  deaths  was  re¬ 
duced  from  sixty  per  cent  to  one  per  cent. 

All  this  was  accomplished  by  the  energy  and  skill  of  one 
woman — Florence  Nightingale.  She  was  the  daughter  of  a 
wealthy  man.  Like  Moses,  she  might  have  chosen  a  life  of 
luxury,  but  instead  she  chose  a  life  of  service.  In  her 
biography  we  are  told  that  she  began  her  work  by  doing  the 
neglected  little  things.  “  She  opened  windows.  She 
scrubbed  floors  and  walls.  She  laundered  shirts.  She 
peeled  potatoes  and  boiled  soup.  She  bathed  the  patients, 
dosed  them  with  medicine  while  the  worn-out  surgeons  were 
asleep,  read  to  them  and  wrote  letters  for  them.”  She 
would  go  through  the  wards  at  night,  lamp  in  hand,  to  see 
that  they  were  as  comfortable  as  possible.  As  she  passed 
by,  they  would  kiss  her  shadow  as  it  crossed  their  pillows. 

And  because  of  this  service,  the  name  of  Florence  Night¬ 
ingale,  “  the  angel  of  the  lamp,”  is  honored  and  revered 
everywhere.  Everywhere  she  is  known  for  the  good  that 
she  has  done,  and  for  the  lives  that  she  has  saved.  Like 
Moses  she  answered  God’s  call,  and  was  willing  to  give  up 
the  pleasures  of  luxury,  and  to  live  for  the  good  of  others. 
She  followed  the  example  of  Jesus,  who  “  came  not  to  be 
ministered  unto,  but  tO'  minister.” 

EXPRESSIONAL  SESSION 

GOD  CALLING  JUNIORS  TO-DAY 
Jeremiah  1  :6-8 

Suggestions  lor  the  Leader’s  Opening  Address 

God  called  to  Moses  from  the  burning  bush  to  serve  him. 


JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 


235 


lie  called  Samuel  in  the  Temple,  to  serve  him.  He  calls  to 
the  people  of  the  world  to-day  to  serve  him.  We  Juniors 
who  live  in  a  Christian  country  where  we  can  go  to  church 
and  school ;  whose  parents  teach  us  to  love  God,  and  to  live 
honorable  lives,  have  many  things  for  which  we  ought  to 
be  thankful.  We  have  good  training,  as  Moses  had.  God 
does  not  speak  to  us  from  a  burning  bush,  as  he  spoke  to 
Moses,  but  he  does  speak  to  us  through  his  Word,  the  Bible, 
and  through  our  parents  and  teachers.  He  calls  each  one  of 
us  to  his  service,  to  stand  up  for  him  and  to  proclaim  that 
he  is  the  King  of  our  lives.  If  we  are  still  hesitating  to 
obey  his  call,  if  we  have  not  yet  made  a  decision  to  be  his 
followers,  let  us  make  our  choice  for  him  soon,  while  we  are 
yet  Juniors,  and  so  do  his  will  for  us  in  the  best  way. 

The  Class  Prayer 

We  pray  thee,  O  Father  in  heaven,  that  we  may  hear  thy 
call  to  us  and  obey  it.  We  want  to  decide  now,  while  we  are 
Juniors,  to  follow  thee  with  all  our  hearts  and  minds  and 
strength.  We  know  that  thou  sayest  to  us  as  thou  hast  said 
to  Moses,  “  Certainly  I  will  be  with  thee.”  Help  us,  we 
pray  thee,  to  be  thy  true  children,  and  to  do  those  things 
that  thou  wouldst  have  us  do.  Amen. 


Verses  for  Gtse  in  the  Meeting 

I  Samuel  3:4,  10,  11a;  Isaiah  6:8;  Ecclesiastes  12:1; 
II  Timothy  3:15;  I  Samuel  12:2;  Psalm  71  :5,  17. 

Hymns  that  May  Be  Used  in  Connection 
with  the  Meeting 

“  O  lesus,  I  Have  Promised.” 

“  Who  Is  On  the  Lord’s  Side?  ” 

“  True-Hearted,  Whole-Hearted.” 

“  Up  to  Thee  Sweet  Childhood  Looketh.” 

“  Jesus  Calls  Us.” 

“  It  May  Not  Be  on  the  Mountain  Top.” 

Questions  for  Use  in  the  Meeting 

1.  Why  is  Mount  Horeb  called  “  the  mount  of  God  ”? 

2.  How  did  God  speak  to  Moses? 


236 


JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 


3.  How  does  he  speak  to  us  to-day  ? 

4.  Do  you  think  that  Moses  was  modest  when  he  hesi¬ 
tated  to  obey  God,  or  was  he  a  coward  ? 

5.  When  you  are  called  upon  to  do  something  that  is  im¬ 
portant,  do  you  make  excuses  right  away,  or  do  you  think 
carefully  before  you  answer,  and  then  give  your  reply? 

6.  Have  you  decided  yet  to  answer  God’s  call  to  service  ? 

Topics  for  Discussion  and  Reports 

1.  Moses  in  Midian. 

2.  The  Burning  Bush. 

3.  How  God  Spoke  to  Moses,  and  How  He  Speaks 
to  Us. 

4.  Making  Excuses. 

5.  How  I  Can  Answer  God’s  Call  to  Me. 

6.  Why  I  Should  Join  the  Church. 

To  Read  in  the  Meeting 

God  calls  his  children  of  to-day  just  as  he  called  his  people 
of  the  days  of  long  ago.  He  speaks  to  us  through  his  Word, 
the  Bible,  through  the  little  voice  within  that  we  call  “  con¬ 
science,”  through  the  instructions  of  our  parents  and  teach¬ 
ers.  He  wants  us  all  to  serve  him  as  he  has  given  us  talents 
and  abilities. 

Sometimes  men  and  women  of  to-day  have  difficulty  in 
making  the  choice  to  serve  God.  Sometimes  boys  and  girls 
have  difficulty,  too.  But  if  you  make  your  choice  now,  you 
will  find  that  you  are  wiser  than  if  you  wait  until  you  are 
older. 


Who  is  on  the  Lord’s  side? 

Who  will  serve  the  King? 

Who  will  be  his  helpers, 

Other  lives  to  bring? 

Who  will  leave  the  world's  side? 

Who  will  face  the  foe? 

Who  is  on  the  Lord’s  side? 

Who  for  him  will  go? 

By  thy  call  of  mercy, 

By  thy  grace  divine, 

We  are  on  the  Lord’s  side, 
Saviour,  we  are  thine. 


JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 


237 


Chosen  to  be  soldiers 
In  an  alien  land, 

Chosen,  called,  and  faithful, 

For  our  Captain's  band; 

In  the  service  royal 
Let  us  not  grow  cold ; 

Let  us  be  right  loyal, 

Noble,  true,  and  bold. 

Master,  thou  wilt  keep  us, 

By  thy  grace  divine, 

Always  on  the  Lord’s  side, 

Saviour,  always  thine. 

— Frances  R.  Havergae. 

‘Fear  not,  I  am  with  thee,  O  be  not  dismayed; 

I,  I  am  thy  God,  and  will  still  give  thee  aid; 

I’ll  strengthen  thee,  help  thee,  and  cause  thee  to  stand, 
L^pheld  by  my  righteous,  omnipotent  hand. 

‘  When  through  the  deep  waters  I  call  thee  to  go, 

The  rivers  of  woe  shall  not  thee  overflow ; 

For  I  will  be  with  thee  thy  troubles  to  bless, 

And  sanctify  to  thee  thy  deepest  distress.’  ” 


CHAPTER  XXIV 

WEEK  DAY  SESSION 

MOSES  OBEYS  GOD’S  CALL  TO  SERVICE 
Exodus  2  :23-25  ;  4 :27-31 ;  5  :l-9 

The  Memory  Verse 

“  Many  sorrows  shall  be  to  the  wicked ; 

But  he  that  trusteth  in  Jehovah,  lovingkindness  shall 
compass  him  about.” — Psalm  32:10. 

The  Lesson  Story 

When  God  called  Moses  to  his  service,  Moses  felt  that  he 
was  unfit  to  go.  He  hesitated  to  do  as  God  commanded. 
But  God  was  patient.  He  answered  all  Moses’  excuses,  and 
promised  to  send  him  helpers.  When  Moses  said  that  he 
was  not  eloquent,  for  instance,  God  promised  to  be  with  him 
and  to  teach  him  what  to  say.  Then  he  told  Moses  that 
Aaron  was  coming  to  meet  him,  and  that  he  would  be  Moses’ 
spokesman.  God  told  Moses  to  take  with  him  his  shep¬ 
herd’s  rod,  promising  that  with  it,  he  should  do  signs. 

At  last  Moses  realized  his  call  to  God’s  service.  He  took 
back  the  sheep  and  cattle  which  he  had  been  feeding,  to  the 
home  of  his  father-in-law.  He  asked  permission  to  go  back 
to  Egypt,  and  Jethro  said  that  he  might  go.  So  Moses 
started  out  on  his  long  journey  to  Egypt. 

In  the  meantime,  God  had  spoken  also  to  Aaron,  Moses’ 
older  brother.  “  Go  into  the  wilderness  to  meet  Moses,” 
God  said.  Aaron  did  not  hesitate.  He  started  out,  and 
there,  near  the  Mount  of  God,  which  is  also  called  Mount 
Horeb  or  Mount  Sinai,  he  met  his  brother. 

For  forty  years  these  two  had  not  seen  one  another, 
though  they  loved  each  other  dearly.  But  now  they  were 
together  again.  They  were  to  work  together,  to  face  the 
anger  of  Pharaoh  together,  to  lead  the  people  of  Israel  out 
of  bondage.  These  two  brothers  were  not  like  those  other 


238 


JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 


239 


brothers  of  whom  we  have  studied.  They  were  friends; 
they  really  loved  one  another. 

Quietly  they  went  back  toward  Israel.  They  called  to¬ 
gether  the  people.  Aaron  told  them  of  God’s  message  to 
Moses,  that  they  were  to  be  delivered  from  oppression.  The 
people  believed,  and  accepted  the  two  brothers  as  their  lead¬ 
ers,  selected  for  them  by  God. 

The  first  step  that  Moses  and  Aaron  took  in  carrying  out 
God's  plans  for  freeing  the  people  was  to-  go  to  Pharaoh. 
Ramses  II,  the  Pharaoh  of  the  Oppression,  had  died  after 
a  long  reign  of  sixty-seven  years.  The  new  Pharaoh  was 
Meneptah  II,  who  has  been  called  the  Pharaoh  of  the 
Exodus.  This  king  had  won  many  victories  over  his  ene¬ 
mies.  A  hymn  which  we  still  have  was  composed  to  cele¬ 
brate  his  victories ;  in  this  it  is  written : 

“  All  the  world  is  at  peace, 

Everyone  that  was  rebellious  is 
Subdued  by  the  king,  Meneptah.” 

It  was  to  this  Pharaoh  that  Moses  and  Aaron  carried 
God’s  message.  At  first  they  asked  only  for  permission  to 
go  a  three  days’  journey  into  the  wilderness  to  hold  a  feast. 
But  even  this  Pharaoh  refused  to  permit. 

“  You  are  lazy,  you  are  lazy,”  he  said.  “  You  shall  work 
harder  than  ever.” 

Then  he  called  together  his  officials.  He  commanded  them 
that  they  should  make  the  Children  of  Israel  work  harder 
than  ever.  The  straw  which  was  needed  in  making  the 
bricks  should  no  longer  be  supplied  to  them.  They  would 
have  to  go  into  the  fields  and  get  it  for  themselves,  and  with 
all  this  extra  work  they  had  to  make  just  as  many  bricks  ! 
Just  one  more  burden  was  added  to  their  lives.  They  had 
to  work  harder  than  ever. 

The  Children  of  Israel  felt  that  Moses  was  to  blame  for 
what  had  happened  to  them.  They  accused  him  of  bringing 
trouble  upon  them.  Once  more  Moses  went  to  God,  and 
asked  him  what  to  do.  The  task  of  delivering  the  people 
was  great,  but  Moses  knew  where  to  ask  for  help.  God  had 
sent  him  on  his  errand.  God  would  help  him  to  carry  it 
through. 


240 


JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 


Handwork 

Copy  on  the  blackboard  the  map  given  on  page  256.  This 
is  the  Peninsula  of  Sinai,  the  scene  of  the  Israelites’  jour- 
neyings  for  forty  years.  Find  and  mark  “  the  Mount  of 
God,”  Mount  Horeb.  It  was  near  this  point  that  God  spoke 
to  Moses  from  the  burning  bush.  It  was  near  here  where 
Aaron  and  Moses  met  at  the  time  of  this  lesson. 

Notebook  Work 

For  your  notebook  write  the  story  of  this  lesson,  answer¬ 
ing  particularly  the  following  questions: 

1.  How  did  Moses’  father-in-law  receive  his  request  to 
go  to  Egypt  ?  _ 

2.  How  did  Aaron  receive  the  message  of  God  given 
through  Moses? 

3.  How  did  the  Children  of  Israel  receive  it? 

4.  Flow  did  Pharaoh  Meneptah  receive  it? 

Expressionae  Activity 

You  are  God’s  messenger  to-day.  Can  you  do  an  errand 
for  him — that  is,  for  his  sake,  this  week?  If  you  do  an 
errand  for  some  one  who  is  old  and  helpless,  without  any 
hope  of  reward  for  yourself,  you  will  be  doing  it  for  him. 

Memory  Work 

Learn  the  words  of  the  Third  Commandment : 

“  Thou  shalt  not  take  the  name  of  the  Lord  thy  God  in 
vain :  for  the  Lord  will  not  hold  him  guiltless  that  taketh  his 
name  in  vain.” 


SUNDAY  SESSION 

MOSES  AND  AARON  BEFORE  PHARAOH 
Exodus  9:1-7,  22-27;  10:21-29 
The  Memory  Verse 

“  And  God  spake  all  these  words,  saying,  I  am  the  Lord 
thy  God,  which  have  brought  thee  out  of  the  land  of  Egypt, 
out  of  the  house  of  bondage.” — Exodus  20:1,  2. 


JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 


241 


The  Lesson  Story 

Once  more  Moses  listened  to  God’s  word,  and  once  more 
he  and  Aaron  went  to  the  palace  where  Pharaoh  and  his 
courtiers  were.  It  was  a  brave  thing  to  do.  Pharaoh  might 
have  ordered  them  to  be  killed  at  once.  But  the  brothers 
knew  that  God  was  with  them  and  that  he  would  watch  over 
them  as  they  did  his  errand. 

“  Thus  saith  the  Lord  God  of  Israel,”  said  Moses.  “  Let 
my  people  go.” 

“  Who  is  the  Lord,  that  I  should  obey  his  voice,  and  let 
Israel  go  ?  ”  asked  Pharaoh  again.  “  I  know  not  the  Lord, 
neither  will  I  let  Israel  go.” 

Then  Aaron  did  as  the  Lord  commanded  him  to  do.  He 
cast  down  the  rod  which  he  had  brought  with  him,  and  im¬ 
mediately  it  became  a  serpent. 

Pharaoh  called  his  wise  men  and  sorcerers  ;  in  some  way 
they  performed  a  trick  like  the  miracle  which  Aaron  had 
performed,  by  God’s  favor.  Their  rods,  too,  became  ser¬ 
pents,  though  Aaron’s  serpent  was  larger  and  more  power¬ 
ful,  and  swallowed  all  the  serpents  of  the  sorcerers. 

Once  more  God  spoke  to  Moses.  “  In  the  morning  when 
Pharaoh  goes  to  the  river,”  he  said,  “  go  to  him,  taking  the 
rod  which  became  a  serpent.  Ask  him  once  more  to  let  my 
people  go.  Then  when  he  refuses,  strike  the  water  of  the 
river  with  your  rod.  It  shall  become  blood,  and  all  the  fish 
shall  die.” 

Again  Moses  and  Aaron  did  as  God  commanded.  As 
God  had  foretold,  Pharaoh  refused  their  recjuest.  Moses 
struck  the  waters  of  the  river  with  his  rod  and  they  became 
blood.  The  fish  died.  There  was  no  water  to  drink.  And 
it  must  have  been  even  worse  than  had  the  river  been  just 
an  ordinary  river.  It  was  the  Nile,  the  sacred  river  of  the 
Egyptians,  to-  which  the  land  owed  all  its  prosperity.  And 
still  Pharaoh  refused  to  let  the  people  go ! 

God  sent  Moses  again  to  Pharaoh,  and  there  was  a  second 
plague — the  plague  of  frogs.  This  time  Pharaoh  sent  for 
Moses  and  Aaron  and  begged  them  to  ask  their  God  to  take 
away  the  frogs.  If  he  did  so,  promised  Pharaoh,  the  people 
should  be  allowed  to  go. 

But  when  Moses  prayed  to  the  Lord,  and  the  frogs  died, 
Pharaoh  forgot  his  promise.  He  would  not  let  the  people 


242 


JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 


go.  Over  and  over  Moses  warned  of  plagues  to  come — the 
plague  of  lice  and  of  flies  and  of  disease  for  cattle  and  men, 
and  of  hail,  and  of  locusts.  Again  and  again  the  plagues 
came  as  Moses  warned ;  again  and  again  Pharaoh  promised 
to  let  the  people  go,  and  then  forgot  his  word.  But  by  God’s 
providence,  the  Children  of  Israel  suffered  from  none  of 
these  things. 

At  last  God  sent  a  plague  without  warning  Pharaoh  of  its 
coming !  Moses  stretched  out  his  hand,  and,  for  three  days, 
there  was  a  thick  darkness.  None  of  the  Egyptians  could 
see  one  another.  For  three  days  they  could  not  find  their 
way  about.  But  the  Children  of  Israel  had  light  in  their 
homes.  They  could  see  to  find  their  way  about.  They  could 
do  their  usual  duties. 

This  time  Pharaoh  was  really  frightened.  He  called 
Moses  and  Aaron  to  him. 

“  Go  ye,  serve  the  Lord,’’  he  said.  “  Only  leave  your 
cattle  behind.” 

“  We  must  take  our  cattle  with  us,”  said  Moses. 

Once  more  Pharaoh  refused.  He  was  willing  to  let  the 
people  go,  but  he  wanted  their  possessions. 

“  Get  thee  from  me,”  he  said.  “  Take  heed  to  thyself,  see 
my  face  no  more :  for  when  thou  seest  my  face  again,  thou 
shalt  surely  die.” 

“  Thou  hast  spoken  well.”  said  Moses.  “  I  will  see  thee 
again  no  more.”  Pie  knew  that  the  end  of  the  struggle  was 
coming.  Before  he  left  Pharaoh’s  presence  he  warned  him 
that  this  time  the  first-born  of  all  the  Egyptians,  from 
Pharaoh  himself  down  to  the  lowliest  servant,  would  die. 
Even  then  Pharaoh  refused  to  release  the  Children  of  Israel. 

Putting  the:  Ee:sson  Into  the:  File:  ot  the:  Class 

God  gave  courage  to  Moses  and  Aaron  to  go  before 
Pharaoh  again  and  again,  even  when  their  lives  were  in 
great  danger.  He  gives  courage  to  modern  “  soldiers  of  the 
cross,”  to  face  danger  and  difficulty.  He  will  give  you  cour¬ 
age  to  do  his  work. 

Pharaoh  was  warned  again  and  again,  and  given  many 
chances  to  do  God’s  will.  God  gives  to  us  one  chance  after 
another  to  decide  for  him.  Have  you  decided  yet? 

When  Moses  had  decided  to  follow  God’s  call,  he  was 


JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 


243 


brave  and  resolute  in  doing  his  duty.  God  helps  his  people 
everywhere  to  be  courageous  in  following  him. 

There  is  a  struggle  between'  good  and  evil  in  the  world 
to-day,  just  as  there  was  in  the  days  of  Moses.  On  which 
side  of  the  struggle  are  you? 

The;  Lesson  Truth  in  Your  Lite 

God  gives  his  true  followers  courage  and  bravery  to  stand 
against  the  enemies  of  the  right. 

A  Story  to  Read 

“  I  am  afraid,  Thermuthis.  I  am  afraid.”  Jaimes,  the 
sorcerer,  shook  his  head.  “  There  is  something  greater  than 
our  power  in  this.  The  wisdom  of  Moses  is  greater  than 
the  wisdom  of  the  Egyptians.” 

“  But  father,  he  is  learned  in  all  the  wisdom  of  the  Egyp¬ 
tians,”  said  Thermuthis.  “  He  has  perhaps  learned  some¬ 
thing  that  you  have  forgotten.” 

The  old  sorcerer  of  Pharaoh  Meneptah  shook  his  head. 
“  The  changing  of  the  rod  to  a  serpent  I  could  understand,” 
said  he.  “  It  was  only  a  trick.  I  understand,  too,  the  turn¬ 
ing  of  the  waters  of  the  Nile  to  blood,  and  the  plague  of  the 
frogs,  and  of  the  lice.  But  about  the  flies  and  the  disease  of 
men  and  cattle  and  the  hail  and  the  locusts  I  do  not  under¬ 
stand.  Why  did  they  touch  the  land  of  Goshen,  where  the 
Children  of  Israel  are?  Why  did  they  touch  only  us  Egyp¬ 
tians?  Can  it  be,  Thermuthis,  that  the  God  of  Moses  is  the 
true  God  ?  I  wonder  !  I  wonder  !  ” 

The  old  sorcerer  and  his  daughter  were  eating  their  morn¬ 
ing  meal.  The  hot  sun  of  Egypt  glowed  in  the  sky.  Not  a 
cloud  was  visible.  As  far  as  the  eye  could  see  the  expanse 
of  blue  sky  stretched  on  and  on  and  on. 

“  Do  you  go  to  the  court  to-day,  father  ?  ”  asked  Ther¬ 
muthis.  “  Has  Meneptah  summoned  you  to-day  ?  ”  ( 

“  There  is  no  telling  what  Moses  may  do,  daughter. 
Pharaoh  wants  his  wise  men  always  near  him.  Moses  gave 
no  warning  yesterday,  but  I  am  afraid,  daughter.  I  am 
afraid.” 

And  even  as  he  spoke,  his  fears  proved  well  founded.  A 
moment  before  the  skies  had  been  as  blue  as  turquoise.  And 


244 


JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 


now — there  was  darkness,  darkness  as  of  night !  What  had 
happened?  There  came  a  cry  from  the  inner  rooms  of  the 
dwelling,  echoing  the  words  of  the  sorcerer:  “We  are  afraid! 
We  are  afraid  !” 

Outside  there  rose  a  sudden  wailing. 

“  The  sun !  The  sun !  What  has  happened  to  our  great 
god  Ra  ?  ” 

Hastily  the  old  sorcerer  groped  his  way  to  the  storeroom 
where  the  lamps  were  kept.  Hastily  he  lighted  the  little 
wick.  But  his  servants  had  fallen  to  the  ground.  Dumb 
fear  had  come  upon  them  in  place  of  the  loud  cries  of  terror. 

“  I  feared  the  God  of  Moses!  I  feared  him!  ”  murmured 
the  old  man.  “  Now  I  know  he  is  more  powerful  than  all 
the  gods  of  the  Egyptians.  He  shall  be  my  God  hereafter.” 

And  swiftly  he  felt  his  way  from  the  house,  leading  his 
daughter  by  the  hand.  They  groped  their  way  through  the 
dark  streets,  along  the  way  to  the  home  of  Moses  and  Aaron, 
where  there  was  no  darkness ;  over  it  the  bright  sun  shone  in 
the  blue  Egyptian  sky  as  brilliantly  as  ever. 

“  I  have  come,  Moses,  to  acknowledge  the  power  of  your 
Cxod,’’  said  the  sorcerer.  “  He  only  is  the  Lord,  greater  than 
all  the  gods  of  Egypt.” 

And  so  it  was  that  Thermuthis,  the  daughter  of  the  sor¬ 
cerer  of  Egypt,  did  not  perish,  but  was  saved  from  the  de¬ 
struction  of  the  first-born  of  the  Egyptians  when  God  sent 
his  angel  with  the  final  punishment  of  those  who  refused  to 
obey  his  will. 


EXPRESSIONAL  SESSION 

COURAGE  TO  DO  GOD’S  WILL 
Acts  5:17-31 

Suggestions  for  the  Leader's  Opening  Address 

Moses  and  Aaron,  about  whom  we  have  been  studying 
this  week,  were  courageous  in  going  before  Pharaoh  and  do¬ 
ing  God’s  will.  In  New  Testament  times,  Peter  and  John 
and  the  other  disciples  of  Jesus  were  brave,  too,  in  standing 
before  the  chief  priests  and  the  rulers  and  saying,  “  We 


JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 


245 


) 


must  obey  God  rather  than  men.”  Polycarp  and  Luther  and 
John  Knox  and  many  other  men  whose  names  are  remem¬ 
bered  in  history  were  brave  and  courageous  in  giving  God’s 
messages  to  the  rulers  of  the  land  in  which  they  lived.  God 
always  gives  courage  to  those  who  are  ready  to  carry  his 
messages.  Let  us  ask  him  to  help  us  Juniors  to-day  to  be 
brave  for  his  sake. 


The:  Class  Prayer 

Our  Father  in  heaven,  help  us  to  be  brave  as  the  heroes 
of  the  past  were  brave,  when  they  stood  before  rulers  of 
Church  and  of  country,  to  tell  them  thy  message.  We 
Juniors  do  not  have  to  be  brave  in  this  same  way,  but  we 
often  have  to  stand  up  for  what  we  know  is  right  against 
those  who  would  tempt  us  to  do  wrong.  Lead  us  not  into 
temptation  and  deliver  us  from  evil.  For  Jesus’  sake.  Amen. 

f 

Verses  for  Use  in  the  Meeting 

Joshua  1  :9 ;  Psalm  23  :4;  27 :1,  3,  14;  I  Corinthians  10:31  ; 
16:13;  Ephesians  4:10,  11;  I  Timothy  6:12. 

Hymns  that  May  Be  LTsed  in  Connection  with 

the  Meeting 

“  The  Son  of  God  Goes  Forth  to  War.” 

“  Courage,  Brother,  Do  Not  Stumble.” 

“  My  Souk  Be  On  Thy  Guard.” 

“  Dare  to  Be  Brave.” 

Questions  eor  Use  in  the  Meeting 

1.  How  did  God  help  the  Children  of  Israel  when  they 
were  in  slavery  in  Egypt? 

2.  How  did  God  help  Moses  to  be  brave? 

3.  How  did  God  help  Peter  and  John  and  the  other 
apostles  of  New  Testament  times  to  be  brave? 

4.  How  will  he  help  Juniors  to-day  to  be  brave? 

5.  What  gives  to  missionaries  of  to-day  courage  to  go 
so  boldly  into  foreign  lands  to  teach  the  heathen? 

6.  How  can  you  be  brave  for  Jesus’  sake? 


246  JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 

Topics  for  Discussion  and  Reports 

1.  Bible  Brothers  Who  Agreed  with  Each  Other. 

2.  Courage  to  Do  God’s  Will. 

3.  Missionary  Courage. 

4.  The  Courage  of  the  Apostles. 

5.  The  Courage  of  the  Founders  of  Our  Church. 

To  Read  During  the  Meeting 

God  has  always  given  courage  and  strength  to  those  who 
do  his  will.  He  made  the  apostles  brave,  and  Polycarp,  and 
Luther.  He  will  help  his  followers  to-day,  too. 

We  do  not  have  to  face  death  and  imprisonment  for  our 
faith  in  God  as  did  the  heroes  of  the  past,  but  we  may  have 
to  face  discouragement  and  trouble  when  we  try  to  do'  God’s 
will.  We  should  stand  firm  for  what  we  believe  and  God 
will  give  us  strength. 

God  wants  us  to  be  honest  in  all  the  work  that  we  do. 
He  wants  us  to  speak  the  truth.  He  wants  us  to  confess  our 
faults.  And  he  will  give  us  courage  to  do>  these  things  if 
we  ask  him. 

The  following  story  is  told  of  Wendell  Phillips’  boyhood : 
One  of  his  mother’s  earliest  gifts  to  him  was  a  Bible.  .  .  . 
When  he  was  four  or  five  years  old  he  used  to  put  the  family 
Bible  in  a  chair,  and  preach  most  earnestly  to  the  surround¬ 
ing  furniture.  “  When  I  was  a  boy  of  fourteen  years  of 
age,”  he  tells  us,  “  I  heard  Lyman  Beecher  preach  on  'the 
theme  ‘  You  Belong  to  God.’  I  went  home  after  that  service, 
threw  myself  on  the  floor  in  my  room,  with  locked  doors.  I 
prayed :  ‘  O  God,  I  belong  to  thee ;  take  what  is  thine  own. 
I  ask  this,  that  whenever  a  thing  be  wrong  it  may  have  no 
power  of  temptation  over  me;  whenever  a  thing  be  right,  it 
may  take  no  courage  to  do  it.’  From  that  day  to  this  it  has 
been  so.  Whenever  I  have  known  a  thing  to  be  wrong,  it 
has  held  no  temptation.  Whenever  I  have  known  a  thing  to 
be  right,  it  has  taken  no>  courage  to  do  it.” 


CHAPTER  XXV 

WEEK  DAY  SESSION 

THE  FINAL  PUNISHMENT  OF  THE  EGYPTIANS 

Exodus  12:1-20 

The:  Memory  Verse 

“  Jehovah  is  my  strength  and  song, 

And  he  is  become  my  salvation.’’ — Exodus  15  :2a. 

The  Lesson  Story 

You  would  have  thought  that  the  thick  darkness  which 
came  upon  the  land  of  Egypt  would  have  shown  Pharaoh 
God's  will — but  it  did  not.  Once  more  he  refused  to  let  the 
Children  of  Israel  go;  and  once  more  God  sent  Moses  and 
Aaron  to  him  with  a  message. 

This  time  Moses  foretold  a  terrible  trouble.  About  mid¬ 
night,  the  angel  of  the  Lord  would  go  through  the  land  of 
Egypt,  and  all  the  first-born  of  people  and  of  beasts  should 
die!  Just  think  what  that  would  mean  in  this  land  of  ours. 
If  some  one  should  say  that  your  oldest  brother  or  sister, 
and  your  father’s  oldest  brother  or  sister,  and  your  mother’s 
oldest  brother  or  sister  should  die  in  one  hour — and  if  this 
was  to  happen  not  only  in  your  family,  but  in  the  family  of 
everyone  in  this  great  country  of  ours — would  you  not  try 
to  prevent  it  in  every  way  possible?  And  if  death  was  fore¬ 
told  not  only  for  human  beings,  but  for  all  animals — for 
every  living  thing — would  it  not  be  terrible? 

But  Pharaoh  did  not  believe  Moses’  words,  even  though 
the  nine  other  plagues  had  come  as  Moses  had  foretold.  He 
refused  once  more  to  let  the  people  go. 

God  spoke  again  to  Moses.  He  told  him  exactly  the 
preparations  which  he  was  to  make  for  the  Children  of 
Israel  to  leave  Egypt.  First  he  gave  to  him  directions  for 
a  feast  which  the  Jews  have  celebrated  ever  since  to  corn- 

247 


248  JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 

memorate  their  escape  from  Egypt — the  feast  of  the 
passover. 

The  month  in  which  the  Children  of  Israel  escaped  from 
Egypt  was  to  be,  after  this  time,  the  first  month  of  their 
year.  On  the  tenth  day  of  this  month,  each  householder  was 
to  take  a  lamb  that  was  a  year  old  and  absolutely  perfect. 
If  the  household  was  small,  its  members  might  join  with 
another  small  household.  The  lamb  was  to  be  kept  until  the 
fourteenth  day  of  the  month.  In  the  evening  of  that  day  it 
was  to  be  killed;  a  bunch  of  hyssop  (a  sort  of  herb)  was  to 
be  dipped  in  the  blood,  and  the  lintel  and  the  two  side  posts 
of  the  door  were  to  be  marked  with  the  blood.  Then  the 
lamb  was  to  be  roasted  and  eaten,  while  the  people  stood 
ready  to  leave  the  land  where  they  had  been  oppressed.  The 
Lord  promised  that  the  angel  of  death  would  pass  over  the 
houses  whose  doorposts  were  marked  with  blood.  He  would 
not  slay  the  first-born  there,  as  in  the  houses  of  the 
Egyptians. 

Then  God  added  another  direction.  “  Ever  after  this,”  he 
said,  “  this  day  shall  be  a  memorial  to  you.  For  seven  days 
you  shall  eat  no  leavened  bread ;  you  shall  have  a  holy  cele¬ 
bration,  because  this  time  is  the  time  of  your  deliverance 
from  Egypt.” 

So  God's  word  came  to  the  Children  of  Israel.  They  were 
to  make  ready  to  go  out  of  Egypt,  and  to  start  to  the  home 
in  the  land  of  Canaan,  which  God  had  promised  to  Abraham. 
They  were  to  become  a  nation. 

The  Passover  Celebration 

Ever  since  the  time  when  God  gave  to  Moses  the  direc¬ 
tions  for  the  passover,  the  Children  of  Israel  have  kept  this 
holiday.  The  month  of  the  passover  is  the  first  month  of 
the  year.  It  is  called  “  Abib,”  or  “  Nisan,”  and  corresponds 
to  the  last  part  of  our  March  and  the  first  part  of  our 
April.  On  the  fourteenth  day  of  that  month,  at  evening,  the 
passover  lamb  is  killed  and  eaten  in  each  family,  as  God 
directed.  If  a  family  is  small,  two  families  join  together. 
Ten  people  are  allowed  to  each  lamb.  Every  bit  of  leaven, 
that  is,  yeast,  must  be  taken  from  the  house,  and  bread  made 
without  yeast  must  be  eaten.  And  even  to-day  Moses’  words 
to  the  people,  found  in  Exodus  12:26,  27,  are  carried  out: 


JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 


249 


“  And  it  shall  come  to  pass,  when  your  children  shall  say 
unto  you,  What  mean  ye  by  this  service  ?  that  ye  shall  say, 
It  is  the  sacrifice  of  Jehovah’s  passover,  who-  passed  over 
the  houses  of  the  Children  of  Israel  in  Egypt,  when  he  smote 
the  Egyptians,  and  delivered  our  houses.” 

The  youngest  child  who  is  able  to  speak,  in  each  Jewish 
household  is  taught  to  ask  the  question,  “  What  mean  ye  by 
this  service?”  Then  the  answer  is  given  in  an  account  of 
the  origin  of  the  feast.  And  as  they  eat  the  unleavened 
bread  they  never  fail  to  say:  “  This  is  the  bread  of  affliction 
which  our  fathers  ate  in  the  land  of  Egypt.  Let  all  who  are 
hungry  come  and  eat :  let  all  who  require  come  in  and  cele¬ 
brate  the  passover.  This  year  here,  next  year  in  the  land 
of  Israel!  This  year  slaves,  next  year  sons  of  freedom!” 
So  they  chant,  year  after  year,  remembering  their  deliver¬ 
ance  thousands  of  years  ago,  from  Egypt. 

Handwork 

Obtain  a  piece  of  heavy  cardboard — perhaps  the  lid  of  a 
box — about  twelve  inches  by  fifteen.  Copy  on  it  the  map 
found  on  page  256.  Then  cut  this  into  irregular  pieces,  as 
if  you  were  making  a  jig-saw  puzzle.  Practice  putting  these 
pieces  together  until  you  are  familiar  with  your  map.  Then 
put  the  pieces  together  in  an  envelope.  Exchange  envelopes 
with  another  pupil  in  the  class,  and  see  which  can  put  to¬ 
gether  the  other’s  puzzle  in  the  shortest  time. 

Notebook  Work 

Copy  in  your  notebook  the  words  of  Psalm  105 :26-37, 
and  write  in  your  own  words  the  story  of  these  events. 
Make  a  border  for  the  psalm,  using  as  the  basis  of  your  de¬ 
sign  the  Egyptian  lotus  flower,  which  is  pictured  on  page 


Expressioxae  Activity 

The  Children  of  Israel  obeyed  God  in  every  detail  which 
he  gave  to  them  about  the  passover.  Always  they  have 
kept  this  passover,  as  he  commanded.  God  has  commanded 
us  to  keep  holy  one  day  in  seven,  when  we  are  to  rest  from 
our  everyday  labor  and  worship  him.  Let  us  try  this  week, 


250  JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 

and  every  week,  to  remember  the  Sabbath  Day  and  keep  it 
holy. 

Memory  Work 

Learn  the  words  of  the  Fourth  Commandment: 

“  Remember  the  Sabbath  day,  to  keep  it  holy.  Six  days 
shalt  thou  labor,  and  do  all  thy  work :  but  the  seventh  day  is 
the  Sabbath  of  the  Lord  thy  God;  in  it  thou  shalt  not  do 
any  work,  thou,  nor  thy  son,  nor  thy  daughter,  thy  man¬ 
servant,  nor  thy  maid-servant,  nor  thy  cattle,  nor  thy  stranger 
that  is  within  thy  gates :  for  in  six  days  the  Lord  made 
heaven  and  earth,  the  sea,  and  all  that  in  them  is,  and  rested 
the  seventh  day ;  wherefore  the  Lord  blessed  the  Sabbath 
day  and  hallowed  it.” 


Review  Work 

Look  back  to  Chapter  XV  of  your  First  Year  Book,  and 
read  again  what  is  told  you  there  about  the  passover. 


SUNDAY  SESSION 

THE  PASSOVER 
Exodus  12  :21-36 

The  Memory  Verse 

“  Egypt  was  glad  when  they  departed  ; 

For  the  fear  of  them  had  fallen  upon  them.” 

— Psalm  105  :38. 


The  Lesson  Story 

When  Moses  had  heard  God’s  directions  for  the  prepara¬ 
tions  for  the  passover,  he  quickly  called  together  the  heads 
of  the  families  of  Israel.  He  repeated  the  directions  which 
God  had  given  him,  and  the  people  did  exactly  as  he  told 
them  to  do.  They  killed  a  lamb  in  each  family.  They 
marked  the  doorway  with  the  blood.  Then  they  waited.  It 
must  have  been  a  solemn  time  to  the  people  of  Israel,  who 
believed  the  message  that  God  had  sent  to  them  through 
Moses.  But  in  the  homes  of  the  Egyptians  things  went  on 


! 

1 


THE  FLIGHT  FROM  EGYPT 


JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 


251 


as  usual.  They  feasted  and  danced ;  they  went  their  way  as 
they  did  every  day.  And  then — at  midnight  the  angel  of  the 
Lord  passed  over  the  land  of  Egypt.  As  Moses  had  fore¬ 
told,  the  first-born  of  man  and  beast  died — the  oldest  son  of 
Pharaoh  on  his  throne,  the  oldest  son  of  the  captive  in  the 
dungeon;  the  first-horn  of  the  cattle.  There  was  not  a 
house  where  there  was  not  one  dead.  Pharaoh’s  heir  was 
dead.  He  was  frightened  at  last. 

Quickly  he  sent  out  into  the  night.  Pie  called  for  Moses 
and  Aaron. 

“  Go  out  of  my  country,”  he  said.  “  Go,  serve  the  Lord. 
Take  with  you  all  your  flocks  and  cattle  and  begone !  ” 

Not  only  Pharaoh  urged  the  Israelites  to  go-,  but  all  the 
people. 

“  We  shall  all  die  if  you  stay  among  us,”  they  wailed. 
“  Go  quickly.”  They  entreated  the  Israelites  tQ  go.  They 
gave  them  jewels — silver  and  gold  and  clothes. — anything  to 
get  rid  of  these  people  whose  God  was  so  powerful ! 

And  the  people  of  Israel  were  ready.  They  took  their 
dough  from  the  kneading  troughs  before  it  had  risen.  They 
fastened  their  utensils  upon  their  shoulders,  and  with  all 
their  goods  and  possessions — men  and  women  and  little  chil¬ 
dren — six  hundred  thousand  men,  on  foot,  besides  the 
children. 

“  And  they  baked  unleavened  cakes  of  the  dough  which 
they  brought  forth  out  of  Egypt ;  for  it  was  not  leavened, 
because  they  were  thrust  out  of  Egypt,  and  could  not  tarry, 
neither  had  they  prepared  for  themselves  any  victuals.” 

So  God  delivered  his  people  from  the  Egyptians,  and  they 
set  out  in  haste  for  the  Promised  Land. 

Putting  the;  Le;sson  Into  the;  Lite;  ol  the;  Class 

God  wants  his  followers  to  obey  him  immediately  and 
exactly.  Then  he  will  bless  their  undertakings  and  help  in 
bringing  them  to  pass. 

The  Jews  have  remembered  God’s  commands  about  the 
passover  during  all  the  years  since  it  was  first  established. 
Do  you  remember  God’s  command  about  keeping  the  Sab¬ 
bath  Day  holy  ? 

There  are  many  of  God’s  commands  which  you  know  from 
the  Bible,  from  your  parents  and  teachers,  from  the  little 


252 


TUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 


“  conscience  ”  voice  within.  Do  not  be  like  Pharaoh,  who 
hardened  his  heart  when  God  spoke  to  him.  Listen  to  God’s 
message  and  try  to  do  those  things  that  God  wants  you  to  do. 

The  Lesson  Truth  in  Your  Life 

God  spoke  to  Pharaoh  in  many  ways.  He  speaks  to  me, 
too,  in  many  ways,  and  I  will  try  to  hear  his  voice  and  do 
those  things  that  he  wants  me  to  do. 


EXPRESSIONAL  SESSION 

OUR  PASSOVER 
I  Corinthians  5  :7 

Suggestions  for  the  Leader’s  Opening  Address 

All  through  their  history  the  people  of  Israel  have  cele¬ 
brated  the  feast  of  the  passover.  All  through  the  history  of 
the  Christian  Church,  the  followers  of  Jesus  have  celebrated 
the  Lord’s  Supper,  in  remembrance  of  Christ,  who  sacrificed 
himself  for  us,  and  died  for  our  sins.  The  Lord’s  Supper 
in  the  Church  of  Jesus  has  taken  the  place  of  the  passover 
with  the  Jews.  Christ  has  commanded  us  to  keep  this  feast 
of  his  memory.  When  we  become  members  of  the  Church 
we  go  to  Communion,  in  which  we  remember  all  those 
things  that  Christ  has  done  for  us  and  for  all  the  people  of 
the  world.  Let  us  thank  our  heavenly  Father  for  his  Gift 
to  us  and  to  the  world. 

The  Class  Prayer 

Our  Father  in  heaven,  we  thank  thee  for  the  gift  of  thy 
Son  Jesus  Christ  to  the  world;  we  thank  thee  that  through 
his  death  for  us  our  sins  are  forgiven.  We  thank  thee  for 
the  Lord’s  Supper,  which  reminds  us  that  Christ,  our  Pass- 
over,  was  sacrificed  for  us.  We  ask  thee  to  help  us  to  be 
true  and  faithful  members  of  thy  Church,  so  that  we  may 
come  to  the  Communion  worthily.  For  Jesus’  sake.  Amen. 


253 


JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 

Verses  eor  Use  in  the  Meeting 

Isaiah  53:7;  John  1:29-36;  I  Corinthians  11:23-26; 
I  Peter  1  :18,  19;  Revelation  7 :14. 

Hymns  that  May  Be  Used  in  Connection  with 

the  Meeting 

“  Bread  of  the  World,  in  Mercy  Broken.” 

“  The  Church’s  One  Foundation.” 

“  Hail,  Thou  Once  Despised  Jesus.” 

“  Lord  Jesus  Christ!  For  Love  of  Thee.” 

“  Christ  for  the  World  We  Sing.” 

“  Since  Jesus  Is  My  Friend.” 

Questions  eor  Use  in  the  Meeting 

1.  What  do  we  mean  when  we  call  Christ,  “  our  Pass- 
over  ”  ? 

2.  Why  do  not  the  followers  of  Christ  celebrate  the 
passover  as  the  Jews  do? 

3.  Why  do  we  celebrate  the  Lord’s  Supper? 

4.  By  what  other  name  is  the  Lord’s  Supper  called  ? 

5.  How  can  we  best  show  that  we  appreciate  Christ’s 
sacrifice  for  us  ? 

6.  Are  you  too  young  to  become  a  member  of  Christ’s 
Church  ? 


Topics  for  Discussion  and  Reports 

1.  The  Establishment  of  the  Passover. 

2.  The  Establishment  of  the  Lord’s  Supper. 

3.  What  Paul  Wrote  About  the  Lord’s  Supper.  I  Cor¬ 
inthians  1 1  :23-26. 

4 

4.  Deciding  for  Christ. 

5.  Why  We  Should  Come  to  the  Lord’s  Table. 

6.  What  Junior  Church  Members  Can  Do  in  the  Church. 

To  Read  During  the  Meeting 

The  day  of  resurrection! 

Earth,  tell  it  out  abroad; 

The  Passover  of  gladness, 

The  Passover  of  God. 


254 


JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 


From  death  to  life  eternal, 

From  this  world  to  the  sky, 

Our  Christ  hath  brought  us  over 
With  hymns  of  victory.  Amen.” 

“  Not  all  the  blood  of  beasts 
On  Jewish  altars  slain, 

Could  give  the  guilty  conscience  peace, 
Or  wash  away  the  stain  : 

“  But  Christ,  the  heavenly  Lamb 
Takes  all  our  sins  away, 

A  sacrifice  of  nobler  name 
And  richer  blood  than  they.” 

“  Paschal  Lamb,  by  God  appointed, 

All  our  sins  were  on  thee  laid ; 

By  Almighty  Love  anointed, 

Thou  hast  full  atonement  made: 

All  thy  people  are  forgiven 

Through  the  virtue  of  thy  blood; 
Opened  is  the  gate  of  heaven, 

Peace  is  made  ’twixt  man  and  God.” 


“  Where  the  Paschal  blood  is  poured, 
Death’s  dark  angel  sheathes  his  sword; 
Israel’s  hosts  triumphant  go 
Through  the  wave  that  drowns  the  foe. 
Praise  we  Christ,  whose  blood  is  shed, 
Paschal  Victim,  Paschal  Bread; 

With  sincerity  and  love 
Eat  we  manna  from  above.” 


I 


CHAPTER  XXVI 
WEEK  DAY  SESSION 

STARTING  FOR  THE  PROMISED  LAND 
Exodus  12:37-51;  13:17-22;  14:1,  2 

The;  Memory  Verse 

“  By  faith  he  forsook  Egypt,  not  fearing  the  wrath  of  the 
king.” — Hebrews  11:27a. 

The  Lesson  Story 

The  Israelites  were  ready  and  waiting  for  the  time  to  leave 
the  land  of  bondage.  Quickly  they  ate  the  unleavened  bread. 
Quickly  they  packed  the  last  few  articles  which  they  needed, 
and  soon  they  were  on  their  way.  From  the  country  districts 
they  marched,  where  they  had  been  helping  to  supply  water 
for  the  dry  fields ;  from  the  store  cities  they  came,  where 
they  had  been  making  bricks  and  building  the  great  buildings 
of  the  king.  All  of  them — six  hundred  thousand  men,  and 
the  women  and  children  besides,  perhaps  two  million  of  them 
in  all,  marched  out  from  their  homes,  great  bands  of  them, 
with  their  sheep  and  goats  and  animals,  with  their  household 
possessions,  with  all  sorts  of  provisions. 

Moses  had  directed  the  people  to  come  together  from  all 
parts  of  the  country  at  Succoth,  the  “  place  of  booths.” 
This  is  a  triangular  shaped  district,  reaching  the  Nile  River, 
and  close  to  the  land  of  Goshen. 

You  remember  that  we  have  learned  that  there  were  two 
main  roads  by  which  travelers  went  in  the  days  of  Jacob 
and  Joseph  from  Palestine  to  Egypt.  But  at  the  points 
where  these  roads  crossed  the  boundary  into  Egypt  there 
were  great  fortifications.  There  was,  too,  at  this  time,  a 
great  wall  which  probably  extended  from  the  Mediterranean 
Sea  to  the  Gulf  of  Suez.  This  protected  Egypt  from  the 
enemies  on  the  east.  As  long  as  Pharaoh  did  not  change  his 
mind,  the  authorities  would  probably  have  let  the  people  of 

255 


256 


JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 


THE  WILDERNESS  JOURNEY 


JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 


257 


Israel  pass,  and  the  northern  route,  the  Way  of  the  Philis¬ 
tines,  of  which  you  studied  in  your  lessons  about  Joseph, 
would  have  been  the  shortest  route  to  the  Promised  Land. 
The  people  marched  in  this  direction,  and  soon  came  to 
Etham,  a  word  which  means  “  the  fortification; ” 

But  God  had  other  plans  for  his  people.  He  knew  that 
they  were  not  ready  to  fight  with  the  warlike  Philistines. 
He  was  leading  them  in  their  journey.  There  was  a  third 
way  between  Egypt  and  Palestine,  and  by  this  the  people 
were  to  go.  He  sent  before  them  a  pillar  of  fire  and  cloud 
which  led  them,  and  turned  their  steps  south,  inside  the  wall. 
They  were  still  in  the  land  of  Egypt. 

On  and  on  moved  the  great  procession,  the  pillar  of  cloud 
and  fire  leading  the  way.  Moses  and  Aaron  had  remem¬ 
bered  the  request  of  Joseph.  They  took  with  them  his  body, 
which  was  probably  a  mummy  such  as  those  of  the  early 
Egyptians  which  we  see  in  museums  to-day.  When  the 
pillar  of  fire  stopped,  the  people  encamped  for  the  night. 
With  the  day  it  moved  on,  and  they  followed  it. 

At  last  they  came  to  the  Red  Sea — the  body  of  water 
about  fourteen  hundred  and  ninety  miles  long  by  one  hun¬ 
dred  and  fifty  miles  wide,  which  forms  at  its  northern 

part  the  two  gulfs,  Suez  and  Akaba.  It  was  to  the 

part  that  we  call  the  Gulf  of  Suez  that  the  Children  of 

Israel  came.  In  front  of  them  was  the  sea.  On  all  sides, 
except  the  way  in  which  they  had  come,  were  mountains  and 
the  great  wall.  The  authorities  would  not  let  them  pass  ! 
Something  had  happened!  They  could  not  go  forward. 
They  did  not  want  to  go  back.  They  must  have  been  fright¬ 
ened  as  they  pitched  their  camp  at  the  Lord’s  command  at 
Pi-hahiroth,  between  Migdol,  the  watch  tower  in  the  Egyp¬ 
tian  wall,  and  Baal-Zephon,  the  impassable  mountain  range 
which  sloped  down  to  the  sea. 

But  God  was  guarding  his  people.  The  people  of  Israel 
should  have  known  that  he  was  watching  over  them  and 
would  save  them,  even  though  they  seemed  to  be  in  trouble 
from  which  there  was  no  escape. 

Handwork 

Continue  on  the  sand  table  or  on  the  blackboard  the  map 
of  the  region  in  which  the  Children  of  Israel  were  traveling. 


258 


JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 


Plan  to  make  a  procession  such  as  they  must  have  formed — 
men,  women,  and  children,  with  animals,  tents,  and  furnish¬ 
ings.  Perhaps  you  can  picture  the  scene  on  the  sand  table. 

Notebook  Work 

Write  a  story  in  your  notebook  of  the  start  from  Egypt. 
Pretend  that  you  are  ten-year-old  Judah  or  Miriam  and  tell 
of  the  first  day  of  the  journey.  On  another  page  start  a 
record  of  the  journey,  something  like  this: 


Names  of 
Places 

Miles 

Dates  which 
we  know 

References 

Started  from 
their  homes 

On  the  fifteenth  day 
of  the  first  month 
(Nisan,  or  April) 

Exodus  12:18,34,37 
Numbers  33:3 

Succoth 

Exodus  12 :37 
Numbers  33  :5 

Etham  in  the 
edge  of  the 
wilderness, 
or  Shur 

30 

Exodus  13 :20 
Numbers  33  :6 

Pi-hahiroth 

42 

Exodus  14:2 
Numbers  33  :7 

Passage  of 
the  Red  Sea 

Probably  May 

Exodus  14:22 
Numbers  33:8 

Expressionae  Activity 

Find  all  the  pictures  that  you  can  of  travel  in  the  East. 
Save  these  to  use  in  the  next  lessons  that  you  are  going  to 
study  about  the  wanderings  of  the  Children  of  Israel  in  the 
wilderness. 


Memory  Work 

Eearn  the  words  of  the  Fifth  Commandment,  which  has 
been  called  “  the  First  Commandment  with  a  Promise.” 

“  Honor  thy  father  and  thy  mother :  that  thy  days  may  be 
long  upon  the  land  which  the  Lord  thy  God  giveth  thee.” 


259 


JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 

The  Departure  from  Egypt 

Each  householder  was  to  assemble  his  family  round  him ; 
all  were  to  be  prepared  as  for  a  journey,  their  long  garments 
girt  up  about  their  loins,  their  shoes  on  their  feet,  and  their 
staffs  in  their  hands ;  a  lamb  was  to  be  sacrificed,  and  the 
blood  to  be  splashed  on  the  lintels  and  the  two  doorposts  of 
the  houses ;  then  the  lamb  was  to  be  roasted  and  unleavened 
bread  hastily  prepared  to  eat  with  it ;  and  the  households 
were  to  wait  in  silent  expectation.  At  midnight  the  destroy¬ 
ing  angel  was  to  go1  through  the  entire  land  of  Egypt,  smit¬ 
ing  in  each  house  the  first-born,  but  “  passing  over  ”  the 
houses  on  which  the  blood  of  the  lamb  was  sprinkled.  Then 
a  cry  would  he  heard,  and  hurrying  messengers  from 
Pharaoh  would  burst  in  requiring  all  to  go  forth,  and  be¬ 
gone  from  among  his  people;  and  the  meal  prepared  was  to 
be  snatched  in  hot  haste,  and  eaten  standing,  and  then  the 
journey  was  to  begin.  All  had  to  be  explained  beforehand 
by  Moses,  and  all  arranged  beforehand  ;  the  households  had 
to  be  got  ready,  the  beasts  to  be  laden,  the  household  goods, 
or  such  as  were  most  necessary,  to  be  packed,  the  people  to 
ask  for  farewell  presents  from  their  well-to-do  Egyptian 
neighbors,  and  all  to  be  in  preparation  for  an  immediate 
start.  .  . 

Both  nations  waited,  and  at  last  the  blow  fell.  At  mid¬ 
night  of  the  fourteenth  of  Nisan,  the  Lord  went  forth,  and 
“  smote  all  the  first-born  in  the  land  of  Egypt,  from  the 
first-born  of  Pharaoh  that  sat  on  his  throne  unto  the  first¬ 
born  of  the  captive  that  was  in  the  dungeon ;  and  all  the 
first-born  of  cattle.  And  Pharaoh  rose  up  in  the  night,  he, 
and  all  his  servants,  and  all  the  Egyptians  ;  and  there  was  a 
great  cry  in  Egypt;  for  there  was  not  a  house  where  there 
was  not  one  dead.”  Exodus  12:29,  30.  The  cry  was  “the 
loud,  frantic,  funeral  wail,  characteristic  of  the  nation.”  It 
went  up  from  the  royal  palace,  from  the  grand  mansions  of 
the  rich  and  the  noble,  from  the  small  but  tidy  dwellings  of 
the  artisans,  from  the  mean  and  wretched  huts  of  the  poor — 
one  universal  piercing  bitter  wail,  making  night  hideous,  and 
thrilling  through  every  ear.  All  Israel  heard  it,  and  knew 
that  the  time  of  their  redemption  drew  nigh.  All  Egypt 
heard  it,  and  resolved  to  send  the  people  through  whom  they 
suffered  out  of  the  land.  Pharaoh  heard  it,  and  proceeded 


260 


JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 

to  “  thrust  Israel  out.”  His  own  first-born,  the  heir  to  his 
crown,  was,  it  must  be  remembered,  dead.  He  sent  a  mes¬ 
sage  to  Moses  and  Aaron  “  by  night,”  saying — “  Rise  up, 
get  you  forth  from  among  my  people,  both  ye  and  the  chil¬ 
dren  of  Israel ;  and  go,  serve  Jehovah,  as  ye  have  said.  Take 
both  your  flocks  and  your  herds,  as  ye  have  said,  and  be 
gone ;  and  bless  me  also.” 

It  was  an  utter  surrender,  a  yielding  up  of  everything. 
The  long  struggle  had  terminated  in  the  complete  triumph 
of  Moses.  Pharaoh  yielded  all  that  had  been  ever  asked. 
• — “  Moses,  His  Life  and  Times,”  by  Rawlinson. 


SUNDAY  SESSION 

THE  CROSSING  OF  THE  RED  SEA 
Exodus  14 :3  to  15  :2 
The  Memory  Verse 

“  And  Moses  said  unto  the  people,  Fear  ye  not,  stand 
still,  and  see  the  salvation  of  Jehovah.” 

— Exodus  14:13a. 


The  Lesson  Story 

Back  in  the  cities  from  which  the  Children  of  Israel  had 
departed  the  Egyptians  looked  at  one  another  in  dismay. 

“  What  shall  we  do  for  slaves  to  make  our  bricks?  ”  they 
asked  one  another.  “  What  shall  we  do  for  men  to  build 
our  cities  and  to  water  our  fields  and  do  our  hard  work  ?  ” 
For  so  many  years  they  had  depended  on  the  Children  of 
Israel  that  now  they  hardly  knew  what  to  do.  Even 
Pharaoh  realized  what  had  happened.  God  hardened  his 
heart  and  made  him  sorry  for  the  permission  to  go  out  of 
his  land  which  he  had  given  to  Moses  and  Aaron. 

Then  messengers  came  to  him.  “  The  Children  of  Israel 
have  not  gone  out  from  Egypt,”  they  said.  “  They  are  still 
in  our  land.” 

“  Let  us  follow  them,”  cried  Pharaoh.  “  They  are  tangled 
in  the  wilderness ;  they  have  been  foolish  that  they  have  not 
left  our  land.” 


JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 


261 


Quickly  he  ordered  six  hundred  war  chariots  to  be  gotten 
ready.  They  started  after  the  Children  of  Israel — that 
great  column  of  men  and  women  and  children  and  animals, 
following  God’s  pillar  of  cloud  and  fire. 

Of  course  the  chariots  of  Pharaoh  overtook  the  hosts  of 
Israelite^,  marching  on  foot.  They  came  upon  them  en¬ 
camped  at  Pi-hahiroth,  by  the  Red  Sea. 

“  We  have  these  people  now,”  Pharaoh’s  generals  must 
have  thought.  “  How  foolish  they  were  to  get  themselves 
into  trouble  like  this  !  They  have  no  way  of  escape  except 
the  way  in  which  they  came.  And  we  can  cut  that  off, 
easily.”  Sure  of  themselves  they  encamped ;  it  seemed  to 
them  that  there  was  no  possible  way  in  which  the  Children 
of  Israel  could  escape. 

This  seemed  true  to  the  Children  of  Israel,  too.  They  be¬ 
came  angry  and  blamed  Moses  because  he  had  led  them  into 
such  danger. 

But  again  God  encouraged  Moses.  Again  he  told  his 
messenger  what  to  do.  Moses  knew  that  God  was  caring 
for  his  people.  He  spoke  to  them  words  of  encouragement, 
telling  them  that  God  would  help  them  as  he  had  promised. 

“  Fear  ye  not,”  he  said.  “  Stand  still  and  see  the  salva- 
tion  of  Jehovah  which  he  will  show  you  this  day.” 

The  pillar  of  fire  and  cloud  which  had  been  guiding  the 
Children  of  Israel  moved  from  the  place  where  it  had  been 
before  them.  It  moved  between  the  Israelites  and  the  Egyp¬ 
tians.  It  was  a  pillar  of  darkness  toward  the  Egyptians  and 
a  pillar  of  light  toward  the  Children  of  Israel.  All  night 
long  it  separated  the  two  forces. 

Then,  in  the  early  morning,  Moses  spoke  to  his  people. 
He  went  down  to  the  shore  of  the  sea  and  stretched  out  his 
hand,  as  the  Lord  commanded  him  to  do.  As  Moses  obeyed 
God’s  direction,  a  wonderful  thing  came  to  pass.  A  strong 
east  wind  had  been  blowing  all  night,  and  as  they  looked, 
they  saw  that  the  sea  was  divided.  There  was  a  dry  path 
through  it,  with  the  waters  as  a  wall  on  the  right  hand  and 
the  left !  God  had  opened  a  path  for  his  people  where  there 
had  been  no  path  before.  The  way  of  escape  from  Egypt 
lay  in  front  of  them. 

Quickly  the  column  moved  forward.  The  pillar  of  fire 
gave  light  to  them,  though  the  Egyptian  army  was  in  a  sort 


262 


JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 


of  fog.  Quickly  they  moveed  across  the  pathway,  to  the 
other  side  of  the  sea. 

The  Egyptians  knew  that  something  was  happening  in  the 
camp  of  the  Israelites.  They  could  hardly  see  where  they 
were  going  because  of  the  pillar  of  darkness,  but  they  moved 
forward,  too.  They  followed  the  Israelites  into  the  path 
through  the  sea.  The  path  was  muddy.  Their  chariot 
wheels  stuck,  and  came  off,  and  they  became  frightened. 
They  were  ready  to  turn  back. 

Once  more  God  told  Moses  to  stretch  out  his  hand  over 
the  water,  and  once  more  Moses  obeyed.  Quickly  the  waters 
of  the  sea  returned  to  their  place.  They  covered  Pharaoh’s 
horsemen  and  their  chariots,  and  they  were  all  drowned. 
Not  even  one  of  them  was  saved ! 

But  the  Children  of  Israel  were  safe  on  the  other  side  of 
the  sea.  At  last  they  were  out  of  the  land  of  Pharaoh. 
And  once  more  God  had  shown  them  that  he  was  guarding 
them  and  watching  over  them. 

Putting  the  Lesson  Into  the  Life  oe  the  Class 

God  protected  the  Children  of  Israel  when  they  were  in 
danger.  He  will  protect  our  nation,  too,  in  times  of  danger 
if  our  people  try  to  do  his  will,  and  to  follow  his  Command¬ 
ments.  He  will  protect  us  as  individuals,  too,  if  we  obey 
him  and  trust  him  always. 

If  you  get  into  trouble,  and  there  seems  no  way  out,  ask 
God  to  help  you  and  he  will  open  up  the  way  before  you. 

The  pillar  of  fire  guided  the  Children  of  Israel,  and  Moses 
was  God's  messenger  to  them.  We,  too,  have  a  guide — the 
Bible ;  and  we,  too,  have  messengers  who  help  us  to  under¬ 
stand  what  God  wants  us  to  do ;  that  is,  our  parents  and 
teachers. 

The  Lesson  Truth  in  Your  Life 

God  will  help  us  when  we  are  in  trouble,  if  we  call  upon 
him  and  trust  him  to  open  a  path  before  us  across  our  Red 
Seas  of  difficulty. 

How  God  Saved  the  People  of  Leyden 

Leyden  is  a  city  in  the  brave  little  country  of  Holland — 
that  land  for  which  the  people  always  have  to  fight  with  old 


JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 


263 


Ocean,  where  they  build  dikes  to  keep  out  the  enemy  sea 
from  invading  the  country. 

But  in  the  year  1574  the  people  of  Leyden  were  fighting 
with  another  enemy  than  the  ocean.  Philip  of  Spain  had  laid 
claim  to  Holland,  and  had  brought  his  great  fleet  of  ships 
to  attack  the  city  of  Leyden.  For  a  year  it  had  withstood 
the  siege.  The  Dutch  fleet  with  supplies  could  not  get  near 
it,  and  the  people  were  almost  starving  to  death. 

And  then  came  the  spring  tides — the  enemy  whose  attack 
the  people  of  Leyden  feared  each  year.  This  year  the  tides 
crept  higher  and  higher.  One  inch — two  inches — three 
inches  higher  than  usual  they  rose.  A  southwest  wind  be¬ 
gan  to  blow.  Up  piled  the  water  of  the  green  North  Sea, 
fifteen  inches  higher  than  it  had  ever  been  before.  The 
people  forgot  that  the  sea  was  their  enemy.  They  cut  the 
dikes.  The  Dutch  fleet  sailed  through  the  destroyed  walls, 
and  across  the  fields ;  and  there  among  the  branches  of 
the  orchard  trees  and  the  chimney  stacks  of  farm¬ 
houses,  the  Dutch  and  the  Spanish  fought  a  great  naval  bat¬ 
tle.  The  Dutch  won,  and  Leyden  was  saved. 

And  always  the  people  of  Leyden  have  thought  that  God 
sent  that  great  southwest  wind  and  that  great  spring  tide, 
which  helped  to  save  the  city,  just  as  he  sent  the  strong  east 
wind  which  blew  back  the  waters  of  the  Red  Sea  and  saved 
the  Children  of  Israel  from  the  chariots  and  horsemen  of 
Pharaoh. 


EXPRESSIONAL  SESSION 

GOD  GUIDING  OUR  NATION 
I  Kings  8:54-61 

Suggestions  for  the  Leader's  Opening  Address 

Moses  was  brave  as  he  led  the  Children  of  Israel  for¬ 
ward.  He  was  brave  even  when  he  knew  that  Pharaoh  was 
behind  them,  and  that  they  seemed  to  be  caught  in  a  trap 
from  which  there  was  no  way  of  escape.  He  was  brave  as 
he  said,  “  Stand  still,”  because  he  had  faith  in  God,  who 
loved  the  Children  of  Israel  and  had  promised  that  he  would 


264 


JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 


guide  them  and  help  them.  And  God  did  guide  them  by 
means  of  the  pillar  of  cloud  and  fire,  and  opened  up  a  path 
before  them  through  the  Red  Sea. 

Our  nation,  too,  has  been  given  guidance  in  difficulties. 
We,  too,  want  to  be  a  nation  which  follows  God’s  leading. 
Then  he  will  bless  us  as  he  blessed  the  Children  of  Israel, 
and  show  us,  too,  the  salvation  of  Jehovah.  Let  us  ask  God 
to  help  us  to  follow  him,  as  individuals  and  as  a  nation. 

The  Class  Prayer 

Our  Father  in  heaven,  we  trust  thee,  and  we  want  to  fol¬ 
low  the  path  which  will  lead  us  in  the  right  way.  Help  our 
nation  to  be  a  truly  Christian  nation,  acting  in  such  ways 
that  we  will  show  to  other  nations  that  we  truly  follow 
thee.  We  ask  in  the  name  of  Jesus,  who  taught  his  fol¬ 
lowers  to  be  true  to  the  government  by  which  they  were 
ruled  in  the  world,  as  well  as  to  thee.  Amen. 

Verses  for  Use  in  tiie  Meeting 

Joshua  24:17;  Psalm  14:34;  22:4,  5;  33:12;  77:19,  20; 
78:12-14;  124:2,  3;  Proverbs  4:18;  Isaiah  60:12;  Matthew 
22:17-21. 

Hymns  that  May  Be  Used  in  Connection  with 

the  Meeting 

“  Move  Forward.” 

“  I’ll  Go  Where  You  Want  Me  to  Co,  Dear  Lord.” 

“  When  Israel,  of  the  Lord  Beloved.” 

“  Mine  Eyes  Have  Seen  the  Glory.” 

“  God  of  Our  Fathers,  Whose  Almighty  Hand.” 

Questions  for  Use  in  the  Meeting 

1.  Why  did  not  the  Children  of  Israel  go  out  from  Egypt 
by  the  Way  of  the  Philistines  ? 

2.  Why  did  the  Egyptians  pursue  the  Children  of  Israel? 

3.  How  did  God  save  the  Children  of  Israel  from 
Pharaoh's  army? 

4.  God  led  the  Children  of  Israel  by  a  pillar  of  cloud  and 
fire.  How  does  he  lead  his  people  to-day  ? 


JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 


265 


5.  How  can  Juniors  follow  God’s  leadership? 

6.  How  can  Juniors  show  that  they  are  following  God’s 
leadership  ? 

7.  How  can  our  nation  show  that  it  is  following  God’s 
leadership  ? 

Topics  for  Discussion  and  Reports 

1.  The  Position  of  the  Israelites  at  the  Red  Sea. 

2.  Why  Pharaoh’s  Heart  Was  Hardened. 

3.  Crossing  the  Red  Sea. 

4.  Ways  in  Which  God  Has  Saved  His  People  in  Mod¬ 
ern  Times. 

5.  God’s  Leadership  in  Our  Lives. 

6.  Following  God’s  Guidance. 

7.  God’s  Guidance  in  the  Life  of  Our  Nation. 

8.  How  Juniors  Can  Follow  God’s  Guidance. 

9.  How  Our  Nation  Can  Follow  God’s  Guidance. 


To  Read  in  the  Meeting 

God  guides  his  people  to-day  as  he  guided  them  in  the 
days  of  the  flight  from  Egypt.  He  does  not  send  us  a  pillar 
of  cloud  and  Are,  but  he  does  guide  us  in  other  ways,  and 
shows  us  the  path  that  we  should  follow. 

God’s  Word,  the  Bible,  tells  us  how  we  should  go.  The 
life  of  Jesus,  who  was  the  Way,  helps  us  on  the  right  path. 

“  When  Israel,  of  the  Lord  beloved, 

Out  from  the  land  of  bondage  came, 

Her  father’s  God  before  her  moved, 

An  awful  guide,  in  smoke  and  flame. 

“  By  day,  along  the  astonished  lands 
The  cloudy  pillar  glided  slow; 

By  night,  Arabia’s  crimsoned  sands 
Returned  the  fiery  column’s  glow. 

“  And  oh,  when  gathers  in  our  path, 

In  shade  and  storm  the  frequent  night, 

Be  thou,  long-suffering,  slow  to  wrath, 

A  burning  and  a  shining  light.’’ 

— Scott. 


“  Our  country  does  not  ask  us  to  die  for  her  only,  she  asks 


266 


JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 


us  to  live  and  so  to  act  that  her  government  may  be  pure,  her 
officers  honest,  and  every  corner  of  her  territory  a  place  fit 
to  grow  the  best  men  and  women  who  shall  rule  over  her.” 

Benjamin  Franklin,  the  great  statesman  in  the  beginnings 
of  the  history  of  our  country  says:  “I  have  lived,  sir,  a 
long  time ;  and  the  longer  I  live,  the  more  convincing  proofs 
I  see  of  this  truth — that  God  governs  in  the  affairs  of  men. 
And  if  a  sparrow  cannot  fall  to  the  ground  without  his 
notice,  is  it  possible  that  an  empire  can  rise  without  his  aid? 
We  have  been  assured,  sir,  in  the  Sacred  Writings  that 
‘  Except  the  Lord  build  the  house,  they  labor  in  vain  that 
build  it.’  I  firmly  believe  this.” 

“  The  Lord  thy  God 
He  it  is  that  goes  before  thee, 

His  the  banner  waving  o’er  thee, 

Bright  and  broad ! 

When  the  fiercest  foes  assail  thee, 

He  it  is  that  will  not  fail  thee, 

The  Lord  thy  God  !  ” 

“  Loud  and  long 
Lift  the  old,  exulting  song, 

Sing  with  Miriam  by  the  sea, 

He  hath  cast  the  mighty  down, 

Horse  and  rider  sink  and  drown, 

He  that  triumphed  gloriously.” 


CHAPTER  XXVII 

WEEK  DAY  SESSION 

THE  WILDERNESS  OF  SINAI 
Exodus  15  :22  to  16:1 
The  Memory  Verse 

“Who  is  like  unto  thee,  O  Jehovah,  among  the  gods? 
Who  is  like  thee,  glorious  in  holiness, 

Fearful  in  praises,  doing  wonders?  " 

— Exodus  15:11. 


The  Lesson  Story 

At  last  the  Children  of  Israel  were  out  of  the  power  of 
the  Pharaoh  of  Egypt.  By  a  miracle  of  God,  they  had 
passed  through  the  Red  Sea  in  safety,  and  their  first  act 
was  to  give  thanks  to  him  for  what  he  had  done  for  them. 
Moses  and  the  Children  of  Israel  sang  together  their  song  of 
praise :  Miriam  and  the  other  women  sang  and  danced  in 
thanksgiving  for  their  rescue  from  their  enemies. 

Then  the  great  company  moved  forward  into  the  wilder¬ 
ness.  Look  at  your  map  and  find  the  place  where  they 
crossed  the  Red  Sea.  This  is  usually  thought  to  have  been 
at  the  point  called  “  the  Wells  of  Moses.”  Then  trace  the 
line  of  march  into  the  Wilderness  of  Shur.  Exodus  15:22. 
For  three  days  they  went  forward  into  the  wilderness — a 
journey  of  forty-seven  miles — and  in  all  that  distance  they 
found  no  water.  That  which  they  had  brought  with  them 
in  their  leather  bottles  was  probably  almost  gone.  You  can 
imagine  how  glad  they  were  when  they  came  to  Marah, 
where  there  was  water.  But  you  can  imagine,  too,  how  dis¬ 
appointed  they  were  when  they  found  that  the  waters  of  the 
well  were  bitter.  Once  more  Moses  cried  to  God  for  help, 
and  once  more  God  showed  mercy  to  his  people.  He  showed 
to  Moses  a  tree,  and  told  him  to  cast  it  into  the  water. 


267 


268 


JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 


And  by  this  means  God  performed  the  miracle  by  which  the 
bitter  waters  of  Marah  were  made  sweet. 

Again  the  band  moved  forward  and  came  to  Elim — a 
beautiful  oasis  in  the  desert,  with  twelve  springs  of  fresh 
water,  and  seventy  palm  trees.  Here  they  encamped  in 
peace  and  plenty.  They  had  water  and  food  for  themselves 
and  their  flocks.  They  were  happy  and  contented. 


But  once  more  the  pillar  of  cloud  and  fire  moved  forward 
into  the  wilderness.  Quickly  the  people  obeyed  the  signal. 
They  filled  their  leather  bottles  with  water.  They  packed  up 
their  tents  and  their  supplies,  and  followed  their  guide.  At 
first,  as  Numbers  33:10  tells  us,  they  journeyed  from  Elim 
toward  the  Red  Sea  once  more,  where  they  encamped  for  a 
short  time.  Then  they  moved  away  from  the  sea,  into  the 


JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 


269 


Wilderness  of  Sin,  which  they  reached  on  the  fifteenth  day  of 
the  second  month  after  their  departure  from  Egypt.  And 
here  their  troubles  really  began,  for  the  Wilderness  of  Sin  is 
even  to-day  a  desolate,  dreary  waste.  “  It  is  an  open  plain,’’ 
says  one  authority,  “  three  or  four  miles  wide,  and  ten  miles 
long,  almost  destitute  of  any  signs  of  vegetable  life,  with 
streaks  of  black  sand,  and  strewn  with  blocks  of  gray  gran¬ 
ite.”  And  here,  in  the  barren  wilderness,  the  Children  of 
Israel  received  once  more  a  proof  of  God’s  love  and  care  for 
them,  even  when  they  were  rebellious  and  disobedient. 

Handwork 

Picture  on  the  sand  table  the  encampment  of  the  children 
of  Israel  at  Elim,  with  wells  and  palm  trees.  Use  the  pat¬ 
tern  of  the  palm  tree  and  the  well  given  with  this  lesson. 


Continue  the  record  of  the  journeyings  of  the  Children  of 
Israel  which  you  began  last  week,  as  follows : 


Names  of 

Dates  which 

Places  Miles 

we  know 

References 

The  Crossing 
of  the  Red 

Probably  in  May 

Exodus  14:15 

Sea 

The  Wilder¬ 
ness  of  Shur 

Exodus  15:22 

270 


JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 


Marah 

47 

Exodus 

15:23 

Elim 

Exodus 

15:27 

“  By  the  Red 
Sea  ” 

28 

Numbers  33  : 1 0 

Wilderness 
of  Sin 

May  19  (The 
fifteenth  day  of 
the  second  month 
after  leaving  Egypt) 

Exodus 

16:1 

Expressionae  Activity 

During  this  week  try  to  give  food  to  some  one  who  needs 
it,  to  remind  you  that  God  provided  food  and  drink  for  the 
Israelites  in  the  desert.  If  you  have  given  food  to  some  one 
who  needs  it,  you  will  understand  more  about  the  way  in 
which  the  Children  of  Israel  felt  when  God  miraculously 
sent  them  food.  You  will  learn  more  about  this  on  Sunday. 

Memory  Work 

Learn  the  words  of  the  Sixth,  Seventh,  and  Eighth  Com¬ 
mandments,  as  follows : 

“  Thou  shalt  not  kill.” 

“  Thou  shalt  not  commit  adultery.” 

“  Thou  shalt  not  steal.” 

The  Peninsula  oe  Sinai 

The  area  of  the  peninsula  proper  is  little  less  than  ten 
thousand  square  miles.  It  is  one  vast  desert,  relieved  by  a 
few  cases  along  the  seacoast  and  deep  among  the  network  of 
rocky  valleys.  In  the  north  and  along  both  seacoasts  are 
vast  stretches  of  sand,  which  forever  shift  before  the  winds 
from  land  and  sea.  Further  onward  are  stony  plateaus  and 
great  wastes  of  sand  glistening  with  salt.  But  just  south 
of  the  center  of  the  peninsula,  like  a  great  lighthouse  be¬ 
tween  two  continents,  rises  the  huge  granite  range  of  Sinai 
to  a  height  of  over  eight  thousand  five  hundred  feet.  .  . 

Long  before  the  days  of  the  Exodus  this  range  was  known 
as  Horeb,  or  the  mountain  of  God,  and  into  this  maze  of 


JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 


271 


I 

divine  handiwork  the  Children  of  Israel  were  led  forty  days 
or  more  after  they  quitted  the  bondage  of  Egypt  on  the 
banks  of  the  Nile.  Here  among  these  sublime  valleys  and 
majestic  granite  peaks  they  remained  eleven  months  while 
Moses,  under  God’s  own  guidance,  transformed  the  mass 
of  Hebrew  slaves  into  Israel,  the  Chosen  People,  the  miracle 
of  human  history. 

— Franklin  E.  Hoskins,  in  “  From  the  Nile  to  Nebo.” 


SUNDAY  SESSION 

MANNA  IN  THE  WILDERNESS 
Exodus  16:2-31 
The  Memory  Verse: 

“  Give  us  this  day  our  daily  bread.” — Matthew  6:11. 

The  Lesson  Story 

At  the  oasis  of  Elim  the  Children  of  Israel  had  had  food 
and  drink,  but  as  they  moved  forward  into  the  desert,  fol¬ 
lowing  the  pillar  of  cloud  and  fire,  their  supplies  grew  less 
and  less.  They  forgot  the  suffering  that  they  had  endured 
in  Egypt.  They  remembered  only  the  flesh-pots  of  Egypt 
and  the  fact  that  they  had  had  food  to  eat.  They  com¬ 
plained  against  Moses  and  Aaron,  and  so  against  God. 
Does  it  not  seem  strange  that  they  should  so  quickly  have 
forgotten  God’s  miracles  that  he  had  done  for  them,  and  the 
promises  that  he  had  made  to  them  ? 

They  were  ungrateful  and  forgetful,  and  showed  that 
they  needed  training  in  the  wilderness  school  before  they 
were  ready  to  take  possession  of  the  Promised  Land. 

Once  more  God  spoke  to  Moses  and  Aaron. 

“  Behold,  I  will  rain  bread  from  heaven,”  he  said,  “  and 
the  people  shall  go  out  and  gather  some  of  it  each  day.  I 
will  test  them,  to  see  whether  they  will  follow  me,  or  not.” 
Then  the  Lord  gave  further  instructions  to  Moses  and  Aaron, 
and  the  two  brothers,  calling  an  assembly  of  the  people,  gave 
to  them  God’s  message.  God’s  glory  was  to  appear  to  them 
in  the  morning.  They  were  to  have  flesh  to  eat  in  the 


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JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 


evening,  and  bread  in  the  morning.  Then  Moses  added  that 
the  people  were  not  complaining  against  him,  but  against 
God,  who  had  done  so  many  wonderful  things  for  them. 

Then  Moses  and  Aaron  gave  to  the  people  a  command. 

“  Come  near  before  Jehovah,”  they  said.  “  He  has  heard 
your  complaints.”  And  as  the  people  looked  out  toward  the 
wilderness,  the  glory  of  the  Lord  appeared  before  them  in  a 
cloud,  giving  to  them  once  more  the  proof  that  God  was 
with  them. 

And  that  evening  God  satisfied  their  longing  for  food.  A 
great  flock  of  quail  flew  over  the  camp.  They  seemed  ex¬ 
hausted  by  their  flight,  and  covered  the  ground,  so  that  the 


people  could  easily  catch  them.  God  had  kept  his  promise 
that  they  should  have  flesh  to  eat. 

In  the  next  morning,  he  kept  his  promise  of  bread,  also, 
for  when  they  awoke  and  looked  from  their  tents,  the  ground 
was  covered  with  dew.  When  the  dew  disappeared  there 
lay  on  the  ground  a  small,  round  white  substance  like  frost. 

The  Children  of  Israel  had  never  seen  anything  like  this. 

“Man  hu — what  is  it?”  they  asked. 

“  It  is  bread  from  heaven  which  God  promised  you,”  an¬ 
swered  Moses.  “  Gather  it  for  yourselves.  Gather  just 
enough  for  your  families,  a  measure  for  each  member,  no 
more,  no  less.  Do  not  leave  any  for  to-morrow.” 

Many  of  the  people  disobeyed  Moses.  They  gathered 
more  manna  than  they  needed.  But  they  found  that  their 


JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS  273 

leader  knew  best.  That  which  they  kept  overnight  was 
spoiled. 

When  the  sixth  morning  came,  Moses  gave  a  strange 
direction. 

“  Gather  enough  this  morning  for  both  to-day  and  to¬ 
morrow,  ”  he  said.  “  To-morrow  will  be  a  day  of  rest.  Six 
days  shall  you  gather  the  manna,  but  on  the  seventh,  there 
shall  be  none.” 

Again  many  of  the  people  disobeyed  Moses.  They 
thought  that  they  knew  better  than  he.  They  did  not  make 
provision  for  that  day,  because  they  thought  that  the  manna 
would  be  spoiled.  But  when  they  awoke  in  the  morning, 
there  was  no  manna  on  the  ground,  and  those  who  had 
obeyed  Moses’  command  found  that  he  was  right.  The 
manna  which  they  had  gathered  on  the  sixth  day  was  not 
spoiled.  God  had  provided  his  obedient  followers  with  food 
for  the  day  of  rest. 

What  the:  Manna  Was  Like: 

The  Bible  tells  us  that  the  manna  was  “  like  coriander 
seed,  white ;  and  the  taste  of  it  was  like  wafers  made  with 
honey.”  The  coriander  is  a  plant  which  grows  wild  in 
Arabia.  It  bears  pink  or  white  flowers  and  a  small,  round 
fruit,  and  white  seeds.  The  manna  was  ground  in  mills, 
beaten  in  mortars,  boiled  in  pots,  and  baked  into  cakes. 

Various  plants  which  grow  in  the  wilderness  give  forth 
a  manna-like  substance.  There  is  one  tree  in  particular 
which  produces  this  so-called  manna.  It  is  dirty  yellow  in 
color,  at  first,  but  becomes  white  when  it  falls  on  the  stones. 
It  melts  in  the  heat  of  the  sun.  The  Arabs,  it  is  said,  use 
plant  manna  of  different  kinds  as  butter  and  honey.  But 
it  is  produced  only  during  about  six  to  ten  weeks  in  the 
summer,  and  all  that  grows  in  Sinai  is  less  than  half  a  ton 
in  the  best  years.  This  plant  manna  is  not  the  manna  with 
which  God  fed  the  Children  of  Israel.  That  was  a  food 
provided  miraculously. 

Putting  the:  Lesson  Into  the  Liee  oe  the  Ceass 

God  cared  for  the  Children  of  Israel  in  the  wilderness. 
He  sent  to  them  food  and  drink,  even  when  they  were  dis- 


274 


JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 


obedient  and  ungrateful.  He  cares  for  us,  too,  even  though 
we  are  sometimes  careless  and  neglectful  in  thanking  him 
for  his  gifts  to  us. 

Are  you  careful  to  give  thanks  to'  God  each  day  for  his 
kindness  in  giving  you  food  and  drink?  Do  you  complain 
when  things  do  not  go  in  exactly  the  way  you  want  them  to 
go,  or  do  you  make  the  best  of  things?  Are  you  forgetful 
of  God’s  good  gifts  or  are  you  thankful  for  the  blessings 
which  he  has  given  to  you  ? 

The  Lesson  Truth  in  Your  Life 

God  sends  to  all  his  children  many  blessings  of  shelter  and 
food  and  clothing.  I  will  not  forget  to  thank  him  for  all 
his  blessings  to  me  and  to  others  in  the  world. 

A  Hymn  to  Read 

“Traveling  to  the  better  land, 

O'er  the  deserts  scorching  sand, 

Father  !  let  me  grasp  thy  hand, 

Lead  me  on,  lead  me  on. 

“  When  at  Marah,  parched  with  heat, 

I  the  sparkling  fountains  greet, 

Make  the  bitter  waters  sweet, 

Lead  me  on,  lead  me  on.” 


EXPRESSIONAL  SESSION 

GOD’S  GIFTS  OF  FOOD  TO  OUR  NATION 
Deuteronomy  33:13-16a 

Suggestions  for  the  Leader’s  Opening  Address 

God’  sent  food  to  the  Children  of  Israel  in  the  wilderness. 
Miraculously  he  provided  them  with  manna.  To-day  we 
who  live  in  this  wonderful  land  of  ours  are  provided,  too, 
with  food.  It  is  not  sent  to  us  by  the  kind  of  miracle  by 
which  God  sent  the  manna  to  the  Children  of  Israel,  but 
each  year  the  miracle  of  growth  is  renewed — just  as  great 
a  miracle  as  the  miraculous  feeding  of  the  Israelites  at  the 
Red  Sea.  Each  year  the  seed  springs  up,  and  we  have  fields 


JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 


275 


of  waving  grain  to  give  us  bread ;  trees  heavy  with  fruit ; 
pastures  rich  in  cattle.  God  sends  us  so  many  blessings. 
Are  we  thankful  enough  to  him  for  these  things?  Do  we 
stop  to  tell  him  how  much  we  enjoy  the  food  and  drink  and 
all  our  blessings  which  tell  of  his  loving  care?  Let  us 
thank  him  for  his  goodness  and  loving-kindness  to  us  and 
to  all  men. 


The  Class  Prayer 

Our  Father  in  heaven  we  thank  thee  for  all  the  blessings 
which  thou  hast  given  us  in  this  wonderful  land  of  ours. 
We  do  not  always  appreciate  the  fact  that  all  these  blessings 
are  thy  gifts,  coming  down  to  us  from  thee.  We  want  to¬ 
day  to  thank  thee  for  all  thy  gifts  to  us  and  to  everyone. 


Verses  for  Use  in  the  Meeting 
Psalm  24:1  ;  65  :9-13  ;  67  :5-7 ;  104:14. 

Hymns  that  May  Be  Used  in  Connection  with 

the  Meeting 

“  Once  More  the  Liberal  Year  Laughs  Out.” 

“All  the  Year  Is  God’s  Own  Field.” 

“  This  Is  My  Father’s  World.” 

“  God  Bless  the  Land.” 

“  O  Beautiful  for  Spacious  Skies.” 

“  O  God  of  Hosts,  with  Thy  Strong  Hand.” 

“  We’re  Marching  to  Zion.” 

Questions  for  Use  in  the  Meeting 

1.  How  did  God  provide  for  the  Children  of  Israel  in 
the  wilderness  ? 

2.  How  did  he  send  them  flesh  to  eat  ? 

3.  What  can  you  tell  about  manna  ? 

4.  How  does  God  provide  food  for  the  people  of  the 
United  States  to-day? 

5.  Is  this  as  much  of  a  miracle  as  the  way  in  which  he 
provided  food  for  the  Children  of  Israel? 

6.  How  can  we  thank  him  for  the  bountiful  provision 
that  he  has  made  for  us? 


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7 .  Do  you  say  a  grace  at  table  each  meal,  to  express  to 
God  your  thanksgiving  ? 

Topics  for  Discussion  and  Reports 

1.  The  Manna  of  the  Desert. 

2.  Our  Daily  Bread. 

3.  Why  the  Children  of  Israel  Could  Have  Food  for 
Only  One  Day  at  a  Time. 

4.  Asking  and  Receiving. 

5.  God’s  Gifts  to  Our  Nation. 

6.  How  We  Can  Show  Our  Thanksgiving  to  God. 

To  Read  in  the  Meeting 

“  Back  of  the  loaf  is  the  snowy  flour. 

And  back  of  the  flour  is  the  mill ; 

And  back  of  the  mill  is  the  wheat  and  the  shower, 

And  the  sun  and  the  Father’s  will.” 


“  He  who  thanks  but  with  his  lips, 
Thanks  but  in  part ; 

The  real,  the  true,  thanksgiving 
Comes  from  the  heart.” 


“  Lord,  bless  this  meat  that  we  shall  eat. 
This  bread  that  we  shall  break; 
Make  all  our  actions  kind  and  sweet; 
We  ask,  for  Jesus’  sake.” 


“  We  thank  thee  for  our  daily  bread, 
And  all  the  blessings  on  us  shed ; 
We  pray  thee  fill  us  with  thy  love. 
And  guide  us  to  our  home  above.” 


“  Praise  God,  from  whom  all  blessings  flow; 
Praise  him,  ye  creatures,  here  below ; 
Praise  him  above,  ye  heavenly  host; 

Praise  Father,  Son.  and  Holy  Ghost!” 


CHAPTER  XXVIII 

WEEK  DAY  SESSION 

HOW  GOD  PROVIDED  WATER  FOR  THE 

i 

ISRAELITES  IN  THE  WILDERNESS 
Exodus  17:1-7;  Numbers  33:12,  13 
The  Memory  Verse 

“  He  opened  the  rock,  and  waters  gushed  out ; 

They  ran  in  the  dry  places  like  a  river. ” 

— Psalm  105:41. 

The  Lesson  Story 

The  Children  of  Israel  traveled  through  the  Wilderness 
of  Sin.  They  encamped  at  a  place  called  Dophkah,  and  at 
another  place  called  Alush,  Numbers  33:12,  13,  but  of  these 
places  we  know  nothing. 

Finally  they  came  to  Rephidim,  in  the  mountainous  dis¬ 
trict  near  Sinai.  Here  they  found,  as  they  had  found  sev¬ 
eral  times  before  in  their  wilderness  journeyings,  that  there 
was  no  water  to  drink.  Again  they  showed  their  ingrati¬ 
tude  and  rebellious  spirit,  for  again  they  came  threateningly 
to  Moses,  demanding  water  to  drink.  They  were  so  angry 
that  they  were  almost  ready  to  stone  him.  Moses  tried  to 
calm  the  people,  and  then  once  more  he  turned  to  the  Lord, 
asking  for  help. 

Once  more  the  Lord  helped  the  leader  whom  he  had 
chosen  for  his  people,  to  perform  a  miracle.  He  told  Moses 
exactly  what  to  do.  He  was  to  take  his  rod  and  to  strike  a 
rock ;  and  water  should  gush  forth. 

Moses  did  as  God  directed.  He  called  together  all  the 
people,  and  in  their  presence  struck  the  rock.  Water  gushed 
out — enough  to  supply  all  their  needs. 

There  in  Rephidim  the  Israelites,  under  the  leadership  of 
Moses  and  a  younger  leader  named  Joshua  fought  with  the 


278 


JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 


desert  dwellers,  the  Amalekites,  and  God  gave  to  them  the 
victory.  Then  in  the  third  month  after  their  departure  from 
Egypt,  they  came  to  the  foot  of  Mount  Sinai,  or  Horeb,  a 
distance  of  eighty-two  miles  from  Rephidim. 

Mount  Sinai,  or  Horeb,  as  you  remember,  was  the  place 
where  Moses  had  been  feeding  the  flocks  of  his  father-in- 
law,  when  God  spoke  to  him  from  the  burning  bush.  It  is 
usually  identified  with  the  mountain  called  nowadays  “  Jebel 
Musa,”  the  Mountain  of  Moses.  It  rises  seventy-three  hun¬ 
dred  and  sixty-three  feet  above  the  level  of  the  sea,  the 
principal  height  in  a  range  of  granite  mountains.  At  its 
northwestern  base  stretches  the  plain  El-Rahah,  which  is 
the  only  plain  in  the  neighborhood  where  a  band  of  people 
as  great  in  numbers  as  were  the  Israelites  could  find  room 
for  their  encampment.  Fronting  this  plain  is  a  bluff  called 
Ras  es-Sufsafeh,  rising  twenty-three  hundred  and  thirty  feet 
above  the  plain.  Here  the  pillar  of  cloud  and  fire  halted. 
The  people  of  Israel  encamped.  They  did  not  know  it  yet, 
but  they  were  to  stay  in  this  encampment  for  eleven  months, 
and  they  were  here  to  have  given  to  them  the  most  wonder¬ 
ful  laws  for  a  happy  nation  that  the  world  has  ever  known. 

Mount  Sinai:  the  Ten  Commandments 

We  are  in  the  very  heart  of  the  mountains.  Here  are 
great  granite  peaks  (the  highest  is  eighty-five  hundred  and 
fifty-one  feet)  from  which  there  is  a  grand  view  over  the 
mountains  to  the  sea  on  either  hand,  and  across  the  water  to 
Egypt  and  Arabia.  The  view  at  sunrise  or  at  sunset,  with  its 
soft  lights  and  shades  and  colors,  is  said  to  be  wonderfully 
beautiful. 

One  rough  granite  mountain  is  called  Jebel  Musa.  (Jebel 
means  “  mountain,”  and  Musa  is  “  Moses/')  At  one  side 
the  mountain  ends  in  a  fine  great  cliff,  seamed  and  scarred 
by  the  weather.  (Ras  es-Sufsafeh:  Ras  means  “  head,”  and 
Sufsafeh  “  willow.”)  We  can  stand  on  top  of  the  cliff  and 
think  that  here  Moses  came  and  was  taught  by  the  Lord 
what  the  people  should  do.  We  look  down  into  the  broad 
valley  below,  with  gravel  floor,  where  most  of  the  people 
were  encamped  ;  and  there  are  smaller  valleys  at  either  side 
where  some  of  their  tents  were  pitched.  In  one  of  these 
valleys  now  stands  the  Convent  of  St.  Catherine,  where 


JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 


279 


monks  still  live.  It  is  famous  for  a  manuscript  of  the  Bible 
(the  Codex  Sinaiticus)  which  was  found  in  its  library. 

We  must  go  down  and  stand  in  the  sandy  plain  wrhere 
the  people  stood.  Bare  rocky  mountains  were  on  either  side. 
The  stern  cliff  of  Sinai  rose  up  in  front.  Moses  had  been 
up  into  the  mountain  and  had  brought  the  command  from 
the  Lord  that  the  people  should  prepare  themselves.  Bounds 
should  be  set  before  the  cliff  that  no  one  might  go  up  into 
the  mountain,  nor  even  touch  it  with  his  hand.  Then  all 
the  people  heard  the  Ten  Commandments.  They  are  the 
Lord’s  own  laws  of  life,  which  teach  the  ways  in  which 
everyone  must  live  to  be  happy  in  this  world  and  in  heaven. 

— William  L.  Worcester,  in  “  On  Holy  Ground.” 

Handwork  and  Map  Work 

Continue  the  work  which  you  have  begun  on  the  map  of 
the  Peninsula  of  Sinai,  either  on  the  sand  table  or  on  the 
blackboard,  or  on  the  map  which  your  teacher  is  helping  you 
to  make. 


Notebook  Work 

Continue  the  itinerary  of  the  journeyings  of  the  Children 
of  Israel  in  the  desert,  as  follows : 


Names  of 

Places  Miles 

Dates  which 
we  know 

References 

Encampment 
at  Dophkah 

Numbers  33:12 

Encampment 
at  Alush 

Numbers  33:13 

Encampment 
at  Rephidim 

Exodus  17:1 

Move  into 

Desert  of 

Sinai 

Exodus  19:2 

Arrived  at  82 
Mount  Sinai 


In  the  third  month. 
Probably  June 


Exodus  19:1 


280  JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 

Expressional  Activity 

God  helped  Moses  by  a  miracle  to  supply  water  for  the 
needs  of  the  -Children  of  Israel  in  the  Wilderness.  He 
wants  you  to  help  to  supply  the  needs  of  those  who  require 
help.  Remember  that  Jesus  said  that  he  rejoiced  in  even  a 
cup  of  cold  water  given  in  his  name,  and  try  this  week  to 
do  something  for  some  one  who  needs  help. 

Memory  Work 

Learn  the  words  of  the  Ninth  and  Tenth  Commandments, 
as  follows: 

“  Thou  shalt  not  bear  false  witness  against  thy  neighbor.” 

“  Thou  shalt  not  covet  thy  neighbor’s  house,  thou  shalt  not 
covet  thy  neighbor’s  wife,  nor  his  man-servant,  nor  his  maid¬ 
servant,  nor  his  ox,  nor  his  ass,  nor  anything  that  is  thy 
neighbor’s.” 


SUNDAY  SESSION 

THE  GIVING  OF  THE  LAW  j 

Exodus  19:3-14;  20:1-20;  32:15,  16  i 

The  Memory  Verse 

“  If  ye  love  me,  ye  will  keep  my  commandments.” 

— John  14:15. 

The  Lesson  Story 

It  was  in  the  third  month  after  their  departure  from 
Egypt  that  the  Children  of  Israel  reached  Mount  Sinai,  and 
encamped  in  the  plain  before  it,  where  they  were  to  remain 
for  almost  a  year.  In  this  place  God  had  planned  to  give 
to  his  people  the  laws  which  were  to  make  them  a  nation. 

He  gave  to  Moses  the  directions  as  to  how  the  people  were 
to  make  ready  for  receiving  his  laws.  God  himself  would 
speak  to  the  people,  and  he  set  bounds  around  the  mountain, 
which  they  were  not  to  pass. 

The  Children  of  Israel  prepared  themselves  as  com- 
-manded.  They  washed  their  clothing,  so  that  it  might  be 


JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 


281 


fit  for  them  to  wear  when  they  were  to  listen  to  God’s 
words.  On  the  third  day,  they  assembled  at  the  foot  of  the 
mountain,  as  God  had  directed.  The  whole  mountain 
smoked.  There  was  thunder  and  lightning.  The  people  were 
afraid,  for  they  knew  that  they  were  in  the  presence  of  God. 
Then  God’s  voice  spoke  to  them.  He  said  the  words  which 
you  have  been  learning  for  seven  weeks — the  words  which 
we  call  “  The  Ten  Commandments,”  or  “  The  Decalogue,” 
or  the  “  Law.”  Exodus  20:1-17. 

These  Ten  Commandments  have  been  divided  into  two 
parts.  Commandments  I  to  IV  tell  of  our  duty  to  God ; 
Commandments  V  to  X  tell  us  our  duty  to  other  people. 
We  are  not  to  worship  anyone  else,  or  anything  else,  than 
God ;  we  shall  not  make  or  worship  images ;  we  shall  not 


take  the  name  of  God  “  in  vain,”  which  means  that  we  should 
not  use  God’s  name  carelessly  or  profanely.  The  Fourth 
Commandment  tells  us  to  “  remember  the  Sabbath  day,” — 
that  day  on  which  God  rested  from  his  labor  in  the  creation 
of  the  world — and  “  keep  it  holy.”  These  four  Command¬ 
ments  are  called  “  the  first  table  of  the  law.” 

The  “  second  table  of  the  law  ”  begins  with  the  Fifth 
Commandment,  which  is  called  “  the  first  Commandment 
with  a  promise.”  You  know  what  that  promise  is — “  that 
thy  days  may  be  long  upon  the  land  which  the  Lord  thy  God 
giveth  thee.”  God  wants  his  followers  to  have  happy  homes, 
and  happy  homes  are  possible  only  where  children  love  and 
honor  their  parents,  where  obedience  is  the  rule.  And  that 


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JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 


obedience  should  be  the  kind  of  obedience  that  comes  be¬ 
cause  we  love  our  parents  and  want  to  obey  them,  not 
because  we  have  to1.  The  rest  of  the  Commandments  deal 
with  our  relations  to  our  neighbors.  Others  have  rights 
which  we  are  bound  to  respect.  We  must  not  act  in  any 
way  that  will  injure  our  neighbors,  taking  their  lives,  or 
destroying  their  homes,  or  harming  or  stealing  their  prop¬ 
erty.  We  must  be  truthful  and  honorable  in  all  our  con¬ 
nections  with  other  people. 

God  spoke  all  the  Ten  Commandments  from  the  moun¬ 
tain.  He  gave  other  directions,  too,  and  Moses  wrote  all 
the  words  of  the  Lord.  Then  God  called  to  Moses,  “  Come 
up  to  me  into  the  mount,  .  .  .  and  I  will  give  thee  the  tables 
of  stone,  and  the  law  and  the  commandment,  which  I  have 
written,”  Exodus  24:12. 

In  obedience  to  God’s  command,  Moses  and  Joshua  went 
up  into  Mount  Sinai,  and  then  Moses  was  taken  into  the 
cloud  which  covered  the  mountain.  For  forty  days  he  re¬ 
mained  there,  and  when  he  descended  from  the  mountain, 
he  brought  down  with  him  two'  tables  of  stone,  on  which 
God  had  written  the  laws  which  he  had  given  to  the  people. 
“  And  the  tables  were  the  work  of  God,  and  the  writing  was 
the  writing  of  God,  graven  upon  the  tables.”  In  such  a 
wonderful  way  God  gave  to  the  Children  of  Israel  and  to  us, 
the  laws  which  have  been  written  down  for  us  in  our  Bibles, 
and  which  we  should  all  learn  by  heart,  and  keep  every  day 
of  our  lives. 

Putting  the:  Le:sson  Into  the:  Lite:  ot  the:  Class 

God  gave  to  the  Children  of  Israel  the  Ten  Command¬ 
ments.  He  wants  his  followers  of  to-day  to  obey  those  Com¬ 
mandments,  just  as  he  wanted  the  Children  of  Israel  to 
obey  them. 

God  commanded  his  people  to  make  ready  to  listen  to  his 
words  by  cleansing  themselves  and  washing  their  garments. 
We  should  show  that  we  honor  God’s  services  by  the  way 
in  which  we  prepare  to  go  to  church.  Sometimes  boys  and 
girls  think  that  people  dress  up  when  they  go  to  church 
“  just  to  show  off.”  Of  course  we  should  not  do  this,  but  we 
should  show  honor  to  God  by  preparing  ourselves  and  dress¬ 
ing  ourselves  properly  so  that  we  may  be  ready  for  his  wor- 


JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 


283 


ship.  We  would  make  special  preparations  if  we  were  go¬ 
ing  to  talk  to  the  President.  Much  more  should  we  make 
preparations  when  we  are  going  to  the  services  in  honor  of 
our  Lord  and  King. 

Think  over  the  Ten  Commandments,  and  decide  which  of 
them  apply  particularly  to  boys  and  girls.  The  First  Com¬ 
mandment,  the  Fourth,  the  Fifth,  the  Eighth,  the  Ninth,  the 
Tenth — all  these  you  may  find  that  you  are  tempted  to 
break  every  day.  Have  you  kept  the  Fourth  Command¬ 
ment  to-day  ? 

The  Lesson  Truth  in  Your  Life 

God  wants  his  followers  to-day  to  keep  the  Ten  Com¬ 
mandments,  as  he  wanted  the  Children  of  Israel  to  do.  I 
will  try  to  follow  out  these  laws  in  my  life,  this  week,  and 
all  the  time. 

The  Tables  oe  the  Law 

You  must  not  think  of  the  word  “  table,”  as  meaning  what 
we  usually  mean  when  we  speak  of  a  “  table.”  Here  the 
word  really  means  “  tablet,”  or  a  block  of  stone.  It  has  been 
calculated  that  if  these  two  tablets  were  27  inches  by  18,  the 
172  Hebrew  words  of  the  Decalogue  could  easily  be  put 
upon  them,  if  both  sides  were  used,  as  was  usual.  Two 
tablets  of  such  size  could  easily  have  been  carried  by  Moses. 
Tablets  of  such  a  size  could  be  inscribed  with  very  large 
letters. 


EXPRESSIONAL  session 

THE  TWO  GREAT  COMMANDMENTS 
Matthew  22  : 3 5-40 

Suggestions  for  the  Leader's  Opening  Address 

All  through  the  world’s  history,  since  the  days  of  Moses, 
the  Ten  Commandments  have  been  kept  by  those  who  are 
trying  to  do  God’s  will.  When  Jesus  was  alive,  a  lawyer 
came  to  him  and  asked  him  which  was  the  greatest  of  the 


284 


JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 


Ten  Commandments,  and  Jesus  said  in  answer  the  words 
which  we  all  know,  which  are  called  the  “  Two  Great  Com¬ 
mandments  ”  :  “  Thou  shalt  love  the  Lord  thy  God  with  all 
thy  heart,  and  with  all  thy  soul,  and  with  all  thy  mind.  This 
is  the  great  and  first  commandment.  And  a  second  like  unto 
it  is  this,  Thou  shalt  love  thy  neighbor  as  thyself.  On  these 
two  commandments  the  whole  law  hangeth,  and  the 
prophets.”  If  we  keep  these  Commandments  of  Jesus,  we 
shall  find  that  we  are  keeping  all  the  rest.  If  we  love  God 
with  all  our  hearts  and  minds  and  souls,  we  will  not  worship 
other  gods  than  the  true  God;  or  if  we  love  our'  neighbors 
as  we  love  ourselves,  we  shall  not  steal  from  them,  nor 
“  bear  false  witness  ”  against  them.  Let  us  ask  God  to  help 
us  to  keep  his  Commandments. 

The  Ceass  Prayer 

O  God,  we  would  keep  the  Commandments  whi^h  thou 
hast  given  to  us  in  the  Old  Testament,  and  also  in  the  New 
Testament.  Help  us,  we  pray  thee,  to  love  thee  with  all  our 
heart  and  soul  and  mind,  and  our  neighbors  as  ourselves. 
For  Jesus’  sake.  Amen. 

Verses  for  Use  in  the  Meeting 

Psalm  103:17,  18;  Mark  12 :28-33 ;  John  12:49,  50;  15:12; 
Romans  7:12;  Ephesians  6:2,  3;  II  Peter  2:21;  I  John 
2:7-11;  3:23;  4:21;  II  John  4,  6. 

Hymns  that  May  Be  Used  in  Connection  with 

the  Meeting 

“  Saviour,  Teach  Me  Day  by  Day.” 

“  The  King  of  Love  My  Shepherd  Is.” 

“  Be  with  Us,  O  Father.” 

“  We  Are  Children,  Happy  Children.” 

“  We,  O  Lord,  Are  Little  Pilgrims.” 

“  We  Journey  On  to  the  Land  of  Love.” 

Questions  for  Use  in  the  Meeting 

1.  What  are  the  first  four  Commandments?  About  what 
do  they  tell  us  ? 


JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 


285 


2.  What  are  the  last  six  Commandments?  About  what 
relationships  do  they  tell  us  ? 

3.  What  are  the  Two  Great  Commandments? 

4.  Why  are  the  Ten  Commandments  sometimes  called 
The  Decalogue  ?  ” 

5.  Why  are  they  sometimes  called  “  The  Law  ”  ? 

6.  Have  you  obeyed  the  Ten  Commandments  this  week? 

7.  Have  you  obeyed  the  Two  Great  Commandments  this 
1  week  ? 

i 

Topics  for  Discussion  and  Reports 

1.  The  First  Table  of  the  Law. 

2.  The  Second  Table  of  the  Law. 

3.  Keeping  God’s  Laws. 

4.  Keeping  Our  Nation’s  Laws. 

5.  Christian  Citizens. 

6.  How  Juniors  Can  Be  Christian  Citizens. 

To  Read  in  the  Meeting 

The  boys  of  the  city  of  Athens  in  Greece  used  to  take  an 
oath  of  loyalty  to  their  city  and  state,  in  which  they  swore 
that  never  would  they  by  any  act  disgrace  the  city’s  name. 
Christ’s  followers  should  never  do  anything  that  will  bring 
disgrace  upon  his  name,  which  we  bear. 

If  we  love  God  truly,  and  our  neighbors  as  ourselves,  we 
will  never  do  anything  that  will  bring  disgrace  upon  the 
name  of  our  Lord  and  Master. 

God  so  loved  the  world  that  he  sent  his  only  Son  to  save 
us  from  our  sins.  We  should  try  to  keep  his  Command¬ 
ments,  to  show  that  we  appreciate  the  great  things  that  have 
been  done  for  us. 


STORIES  OF  MOSES  AND  HIS  TIMES 


CHAPTER  XXIX 

WEEK  DAY  SESSION 

THE  TABERNACLE  IN  THE  WILDERNESS 
Exodus  25:1-9;  35:4-29;  36:2-7;  40:17-38 
The  Memory  Verse 

“  And  there  I  will  meet  with  thee.'” — Exodus  25  :22a. 

The  Lesson  Story 

God  had  spoken  the  words  of  the  law — the  Ten  Com¬ 
mandments — to  his  people,  the  Jews,  from  Mount  Sinai. 
Now  he  spoke  again  to  Moses  and  commanded  that  a  place 
where  he  could  be  worshiped  might  be  built.  He  told  ex¬ 
actly  how  this  place  of  worship,  the  tabernacle,  and  all  its 
furnishings  should  be  constructed. 

The  tabernacle  was  a  tent  church.  It  was  in  the  form  of  a 
parallelogram,  45  feet  long  and  15  feet  broad.  The  back 
and  the  two  sides  were  made  of  boards,  each  15  feet  high 
and  2  G  feet  wide.  They  were  overlaid  with  gold,  set  on 
end,  and  held  in  place  by  silver  sockets,  two  to  each  plank. 
There  were  cross  pieces  of  wood  which  held  these  upright 
planks  together.  In  all  there  were  twenty  planks  on  each 
side  of  the  tabernacle,  six  at  the  back,  and  two  at  the  corners. 

The  front  of  the  tabernacle,  which  was  placed  to  face  the 
east,  was  open.  It  had  five  pillars,  covered  with  gold,  and 
set  in  sockets  of  brass.  These  pillars  supported  a  curtain. 

The  inside  of  the  tabernacle  was  divided  by  a  curtain  into 
two  rooms.  The  room  at  the  back  of  the  tabernacle  was  a 
cube,  measuring  15  feet  in  every  direction.  This  room  was 
called  the  Holy  of  Holies.  The  front  part  of  the  tabernacle 
was  30  feet  long  by  15  high  and  15  wide.  It  was  called  the 
Holy  Place. 

The  tabernacle  was  covered  with  hangings.  The  ceiling 
and  walls  were  covered  with  a  curtain  of  fine  twisted  linen, 


289 


290 


JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 


white,  blue,  purple,  and  scarlet.  The  outside  covering  was 
made  of  curtains  of  goats’  hair.  Over  this  was  a  double 
roof  made  of  red-dyed  rams’  skins  and  possibly  the  skins  of 
porpoises.  Besides  these  curtains,  there  were  two  veils,  or 
curtains.  One  of  these  separated  the  Holy  Place  from  the 
Holy  of  Holies.  The  other  was  at  the  main  entrance  of  the 
tabernacle. 


The  tabernacle  stood  in  a  courtyard  which  was  also  a  par¬ 
allelogram.  This  was  surrounded  by  a  fence,  and  had  its 
entrance  gate  toward  the  east. 

The  tabernacle  and  all  its  fittings  were  made  so  that  they 
might  easily  be  moved,  for  it  was  to  be  a  tent  church,  which 
could  easily  be  taken  with  the  Children  of  Israel  when  they 
journeyed  through  the  wilderness.  There  God  was  to  talk 


JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 


291 


with  his  people,  and  they  were  to  talk  with  him.  Aaron  was 
made  high  priest,  and  his  sons  were  to  follow  him  in  this 
office.  When  the  people  were  to  travel,  the  Levites,  or  de¬ 
scendants  of  Levi,  took  down  the  tent  church.  When  they 
were  to  rest,  they  set  it  up  again.  Over  it  the  pillar  of  cloud 
rested  by  day,  changing  to  a  pillar  of  fire  at  night. 

God’s  people  were  to  use  the  tabernacle  for  his  worship 
during  many  years.  It  was  replaced  for  them  only  when 
Solomon  built  the  Temple. 

Handwork 

Plan  to  build  a  model  of  the  tabernacle  during  the  next  few 
weeks.  First  mark  out  a  part  of  the  sand  table  45  inches 
long  by  15  inches  wide.  (Use  an  inch  in  measuring  your 
model,  wherever  the  lesson  says  that  the  dimensions  were 
feet.)  Then  make  48  “boards”  of  cardboard.  Each  of 
these  should  be  15  inches  long,  and  2T4  inches  wide.  Cover 
them  with  gilt  paper,  and  pretend  that  they  are  the  boards 
of  which  the  tabernacle  was  built.  Groove  wooden  blocks 
so  that  the  planking  will  stand  upright  in  the  grooves,  and 
make  them  silver  with  aluminum  paint.  Make  two  blocks 
to  hold  each  board.  Then  set  up  the  tabernacle,  six  boards 
at  the  back,  twenty  on  each  side.  Your  tabernacle,  you  see, 
will  be  20x2T4  or  45  inches  long;  it  will  be  6x2T4  inches, 
or  a  little  less  than  15  inches  wide.  The  rest  of  the  space 
was  filled  up  by  the  corner  boards. 

For  the  curtains  and  veils  to  be  used  in  the  tabernacle  you 
may  use  tissue  paper  instead  of  linen,  and  wrapping  paper, 
painted  to  imitate  skins,  for  the  outside  covering.  Next 
week  we  will  make  the  furnishings  of  the  tabernacle. 

Notebook  Work 

In  your  notebook  make  a  drawing  of  the  plan  of  the  taber¬ 
nacle,  such  as  that  given  with  this  lesson.  For  this  week  put 
in  only  the  general  outline.  Then  copy  the  dimensions  and 
some  of  the  facts  about  the  tabernacle,  underneath  your 
drawing  of  it. 

Expressional  Activity 

A  cubit  was  the  measure  of  distance  among  the  Jews.  It 
was  the  length  of  the  forearm,  from  the  elbow  to  the  end 


292 


JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 


of  the  middle  finger,  and  was  about  18  inches.  Measure 
your  own  forearm  and  then,  in  some  open  space,  measure 
the  size  of  the  real  tabernacle. 

Memory  Work 

Learn  the  words  of  Exodus  35:4,  5a,  b:  “And  Moses 
spake  unto  all  the  congregation  of  the  children  of  Israel,  say¬ 
ing,  This  is  the  thing  which  Jehovah  commanded,  saying, 
Take  ye  from  among  you  an  offering  unto  Jehovah;  who¬ 
soever  is  of  a  willing  heart,  let  him  bring  it,  Jehovah’s 
offering.” 


SUNDAY  SESSION 

THE  FURNISHINGS  OF  THE  TABERNACLE 
Exodus  25:10-40;  27:1-8 
The  Memory  Verse 

“  And  they  came,  every  one  whose  heart  stirred  him  up, 
and  every  one  whom  his  spirit  made  willing,  and  brought 
Jehovah’s  offering,  for  the  work  of  the  tent  of  meeting,  and 
for  all  the  service  thereof,  and  for  the  holy  garments.” — 
Exodus  35  :21. 


The  Lesson  Story 

While  the  work  on  the  tabernacle  itself  was  being  done  by 
some  of  the  Children  of  Israel,  others  were  preparing  the 


furnishings.  Of  these,  first  of  all,  was  the  Ark  of  the  Cov¬ 
enant,  the  little  chest  which  had  been  made  especially  to 


JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 


293 


contain  the  tables  of  stone  on  which  was  written  the  law 
that  God  had  given  to  Moses. 

The  Ark  was  only  a  small  chest,  2l/2  cubits  (3y4  feet) 
long,  and  1  A  cubits  (2/4  feet)  wide  and  deep.  It  was  made 
of  acacia  wood,  covered  with  pure  gold.  There  was  a  rim 
of  gold  at  the  top,  and  on  each  side,  at  the  bottom,  there 
were  two  golden  rings.  Through  these  were  put  poles  of 
acacia  wood,  covered  with  gold,  and  by  means  of  these,  the 
priests  could  carry  the  Ark.  The  Ark  was  covered  with  a 
lid  of  solid  gold,  which  was  called  “  the  mercy  seat.”  On 
this  cover  there  were  two  golden  cherubim,  or  angels,  who 
spread  their  wings  over  the  mercy  seat.  The  Ark  was  the 


most  sacred  object  in  the  tabernacle,  and  the  most  precious 
possession  of  the  Children  of  Israel.  It  was  kept  in  the 
Holy  of  Holies. 

In  the  Holy  Place  of  the  tabernacle,  there  were  three 
objects. 

1.  The  Seven-Branched  Candlestick.  This  was  the  only 
light  in  the  Holy  Place.  It  was  of  solid  gold,  and  weighed 
about  fifty  pounds, 

2.  The  Table  of  Shewbread.  This  stood  opposite  the 
golden  candlestick.  It  was  made  of  wood,  and  gold  plated. 
It  was  three  feet  long,  eighteen  inches  broad,  and  twenty- 
seven  inches  high.  On  it  were  placed  the  golden  dishes  used 


294 


JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 


in  the  tabernacle  services,  and  the  twelve  loaves  of  unleav¬ 
ened  bread,  called  “  showbread,”  which  were  set  continually 
in  the  Holy  Place.  Each  Sabbath  the  loaves  were  changed, 
and  the  old  loaves  were  eaten  by  the  priests. 

3.  The  Golden  Altar  of  Incense.  This  stood  just  before 
the  entrance  of  the  Holy  of  Holies.  Its  top  was  eighteen 
inches  square,  and  it  was  three  feet  high. 

These  were  the  furnishings  of  the  Holy  Place  of  the 
tabernacle. 

In  the  outer  court,  where  the  people  gathered,  there  was 
the  altar  of  sacrifice,  71/ 2  feet  square,  and  the  laver,  or  bronze 
urn,  where  those  who  entered  the  tabernacle  cleansed  them¬ 
selves  before  they  took  up  their  sacred  duties.  All  these 
furnishings  of  the  tabernacle,  as  well  as  the  tabernacle  itself, 
were  made  according  to  directions  given  by  God.  They  were 
made  by  the  most  skillful  workmen  among  the  Israelites,  of 
the  most  perfect  materials  that  they  could  obtain.  The 
people  gave  their  best  gifts  of  material  and  work  to  Jehovah, 
who  had  brought  them  out  of  “  the  land  of  Egypt,  out  of  the 
house  of  bondage/’ 

Putting  the:  Lesson  Into  the:  Life  of  the  Class 

God  gave  to  the  Children  of  Israel  the  Ark  of  the  Cov¬ 
enant,  or  as  it  was  also  called,  the  Ark  of  the  Testimony,  in 
which  were  kept  the  laws  that  he  had  given  to  them — the 
Ten  Commandments.  Pie  has  given  to  us  his  Word,  the 
Bible,  which  tells  us  what  he  wants  us  to  do.  We  should 
keep  his  laws,  and  care  for  his  Book  as  the  Israelites  cared 
for  the  Ark  of  the  Covenant. 

God  told  the  Children  of  Israel  to  make  a  golden  candle¬ 
stick,  to  lighten  the  darkness  of  the  tabernacle.  Jesus  has 
told  us  that  those  who  follow  him  are  the  light  of  the  world, 
and  that  we  should  let  our  light  shine  before  men. 

The  tabernacle  contained  a  laver,  where  those  who  wor¬ 
shiped  God  purified  themselves.  We  should  try  to  keep  our¬ 
selves  free  from  sin,  as  God  wants  us  to  be. 

The  tabernacle  also  contained  the  altars  where  the  sacri¬ 
fices  tO'  God  were  made.  God’s  followers  to-day  should 
offer  to  him  their  hearts  full  of  love,  and  the  desire  to  live 
for  him. 


JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS  295 

The:  Lesson  Trutei  in  Your  Life 

God  wanted  his  people  of  the  past  to  live  the  kind  of  lives 
that  he  would  approve.  He  commanded  them  to  make  a 
tent  church  where  they  might  worship  him,  and  talk  to  him. 
He  wants  us,  too,  to  go  to  church,  and  to  worship  him  there. 


An  Account  of  the  Tabernacle,  from  an  Old  Writer 

of  History 

The  old  historian,  Flavius  Josephus,  who  lived  in  the 
years  a.  d.  37-95,  and  who  wrote  a  most  interesting  history 
of  the  Jews,  gives  the  following  account  of  the  tabernacle : 

The  Israelites  rejoiced  at  what  they  had  seen  and  heard 
of  their  conductor  (Moses),  and  were  not  wanting  in  dili¬ 
gence  according  to  their  ability ;  but  they  brought  silver,  and 
gold,  and  brass,  and  of  the  best  sorts  of  wood,  and  such  as 
would  not  at  all  decay  by  putrefaction ;  camel’s  hair,  also, 
and  sheepskins,  some  of  them  dyed  of  a  blue  color  and  some 
of  a  scarlet ;  some  brought  the  flowers  for  the  purple  color, 
and  others  for  white ;  with  wool  dyed  by  the  flowers  afore¬ 
mentioned  ;  and  fine  linen  and  precious  stones,  which  those 
that  used  costly  ornaments  set  in  ouches  of  gold ;  they 
brought  also  a  great  quantity  of  spices  ;  for  of  these  materials 
did  Moses  bui’d  the  tabernacle.  .  .  .  Now  when  these  things 
were  brought  together  with  great  diligence,  for  everyone  was 
eager  to  further  the  work,  even  beyond  their  ability,  he  set 
architects  over  the  work,  and  this  by  the  command  of  God. 
.  .  .  Now  the  people  went  on  with  what  they  had  undertaken 
with  so  great  alacrity  that  Moses  was  obliged  to  restrain 
them,  bv  making  proclamation,  that  what  had  been  brought 
was  sufficient,  as  the  artificers  informed  him.  So  they  fell 
to  work  upon  the  building  of  the  tabernacle.  Moses  also  in¬ 
formed  them,  according  to  the  direction  of  God,  both  what 
the  measures  were  to  be,  and  its  largeness  ;  and  how  many 
vessels  it  ought  to  contain  for  the  use  of  the  sacrifices.  The 
women  also  were  ambitious  to  do  their  parts,  about  the  gar¬ 
ments  of  the  priests,  and  about  other  things  that  would  be 
wanted  in  this  work,  both  for  ornament,  and  for  the  divine 
service  itself. 

- — “Antiquities,”  Book  III,  Chapter  VI,  Section  1. 


296 


JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 

EXPRESSION AL  SESSION 

GIFTS  FOR  GOD'S  USE 
II  Corinthians  9:6,  7 

Suggestions  for  the  Leader’s  Opening  Address 

As  we  read  and  studied  about  the  building  of  the  taber¬ 
nacle,  we  learned  that  the  people  brought  their  gifts  will¬ 
ingly,  to  help  in  the  building  of  God’s  house.  All  of  them 
were  glad  to  give  what  they  had,  of  gold,  or  of  jewels,  or 
of  skins,  or  of  cloth.  They  felt  that  all  these  things  really 
belonged  to  God,  and  that  they  were  giving  to  him  only  what 
belonged  to  him.  We,  too,  should  give  as  the  Israelites  gave. 
God  has  given  us  everything  that  we  have,  and  we  should 
give  to  him  gladly  and  willingly  those  things  that  are  needed 
to  carry  on  his  work  in  the  world,  remembering  that  as  we 
give  to  others  in  his  name,  we  are  giving  to  him,  and  return¬ 
ing  thanks  to  him  for  what  he  has  done  for  us.  We  are  his 
stewards — that  is,  all  that  we  have  is  really  his,  which  he 
has  given  to  us  to  use  for  him  and  for  his  work.  And 
though  we  are  only  Juniors,  we  can  show  that  we  know  this, 
and  can  try  to  use  his  gifts  to  us  as  he  would  have  us  use 
them.  Let  us  ask  for  his  help  in  trying  to  carry  out  our 
part  of  the  work  of  the  world  for  him. 

The  Class  Prayer 

Our  Father  in  heaven,  though  we  are  only  Juniors,  we 
can  be  thy  stewards,  and  do  our  share  of  thy  work  in  the 
world.  Help  us  to  do  well  our  part  in  thy  work.  We  ask 
this  in  Jesus’  name.  Amen. 

Verses  for  Use  in  the  Meeting 

I  Corinthians  9:17;  Colossians  1:25;  I  Corinthians  4:1; 

I  Peter  4:10;  II  Corinthians  9 :7  ;  Romans  12  :8  ;  Luke  6 :38 ; 
John  3:16;  Deuteronomy  16:17;  I  Corinthians  16:2;  Prov¬ 
erbs  3  :9. 

Hymns  that  May  Be  Used  in  Connection 
with  the  Meeting 

“  We  Give  Thee  But  Thine  Own.”  | 

“  Ever)"  Blessing,  Heavenly  Father.” 


JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 


297 


“  Jesus  to  Thee,  Our  Offering.” 

“  Little  Children,  Come  and  Bring.” 

“  Here  We  Come  with  Gladness.” 

“  Grant  Gs  Hearts,  Dear  Lord,  to  Yield  Thee.” 
“  O  Lord  of  Heaven  and  Earth  and  Sea.” 

“  Lord,  Thou  Lovest  the  Cheerful  Giver.” 

“  Y\Te  Are  Marching  Through  the  Desert.” 

“  Brightly  Gleams  Our  Banner.” 

“  Through  the  Night  of  Doubt  and  Sorrow.” 


Questions  for  Use  in  the  Meeting 

1.  How  did  the  Children  of  Israel  show  in  the  wilderness 
that  they  felt  that  all  their  good  things  were  God’s  gifts 
to  them  ? 

2.  Name  some  of  the  things  which  they  gave  in  helping  to 
build  the  tabernacle. 

3.  How  can  Juniors  help  in  God’s  work? 

4.  Have  you,  or  have  the  members  of  your  school,  ever 
given  anything  to  help  in  making  the  church  more  beautiful? 

5.  Can  our  school  help  in  doing  this? 

6.  What  part  of  your  money  and  your  time  do  you  give 
to  help  along  in  God’s  work? 

7.  How  can  you  be  God’s  steward? 

Topics  for  Discussion  or  Reports 

1.  The  Tabernacle  in  the  Wilderness. 

2.  Helping  to  Build  the  Tabernacle. 

3.  God’s  Stewards. 

4.  How  Juniors  May  Be  God’s  Stewards. 

5.  Helping  to  Do  God’s  Work. 

6.  What  Share  of  My  Time  and  My  Money  I  Should 
Give  to  God. 


To  Read  in  the  Lesson  Hour 

“There  is  no  true  alms  which  the  hand  can  hold; 
He  gives  nothing  but  worthless  gold 
Who  gives  from  a  sense  of  duty. 

But  he  who  gives  but  a  slender  mite, 


298 


JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 


And  gives  to  that  which  is  out  of  sight, 

The  thread  of  the  all-sustaining  beauty 
Which  runs  through  all  and  doth  all  unite, 

The  hand  cannot  grasp  the  whole  of  his  alms.” 


Lord  of  all  creation,  now  before  thy  throne. 

We  thy  people  bring  thee  gifts  that  are  thine  own. 
Thine  is  all  the  greatness,  power  and  glory  thine, 
High  o’er  all  exalted,  majesty  divine. 


Of  thine  own  we  offer. 

Of  thy  gifts  we  give. 

Unto  thee,  O  Father, 

In  whose  life  all  live. 

All  the  gold  and  silver,  corn  on  plains  and  hills, 

Grass  upon  the  mountains,  water  in  the  rills — 

All  things  yield  thee  glory;  with  thy  light  they  shine; 
Thou  all  art  inspirest,  science,  skill  are  thine. 

Body,  soul,  and  spirit,  thought  and  speech  and  song 
Come  of  thee.  Creator,  and  to  thee  belong. 

These  in  bounden  duty,  we  devote  to  thee ; 

Thine  is  all  the  power;  thine  the  glory  be. 

— S.  Childs  Clarke. 


CHAPTER  XXX 
WEEK  DAY  SESSION 

THE  REPORT  OF  THE  SPIES 
Numbers  12:16  to  14:10 
The:  Memory  Verse 

“  Let  us  go  up  at  once,  and  possess  it ;  for  we  are  well 
able  to  overcome  it.” — Numbers  13:30b. 

The  Lesson  Story 

For  about  a  year  the  Children  of  Israel  remained  at 
Mount  Sinai,  where  they  had  received  the  law,  and  where 
they  had  built  the  tabernacle  as  God  had  directed.  Then,  in 
the  second  month  of  the  second  year  after  they  had  left 
Egypt,  Numbers  10:11,  they  left  Mount  Sinai,  and,  led  by 
the  pillar  of  cloud  and  fire,  moved  into  the  Wilderness  of 
Paran. 

The  tabernacle  had  been  taken  down.  The  men  whom 
God  had  directed  to  carry  the  Ark — the  Levites — carried  it 
forward,  to  the  head  of  the  line.  Then  one  tribe  after 
another  fell  into  place  as  Moses  commanded,  and  the  great 
host  moved  forward. 

For  three  days  they  advanced.  Then  they  halted  at  a  place 
named  Taberah.  Here  the  people  again  complained  because 
they  had  grown  tired  of  the  manna  which  God  had  sent 
them  for  food.  And  it  was  shortly  after  this  that  God  again 
sent  them  quails  to  eat.  Again  they  moved  forward  and  en¬ 
camped  in  the  Wilderness  of  Paran.  They  were  getting 
closer  and  closer  to  the  land  which  God  had  promised  to 
Abraham. 

Once  more  God  spoke  to  Moses.  “  Select  twelve  men,” 
he  commanded,  “  who  shall  go  into  the  land  of  Canaan  to 
explore  it.  There  shall  be  one  man  from  every  tribe  of  the 
Israelites.”  God  wanted  the  people  to  know  the  kind  of  land 


299 


300 


JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 


which  he  had  promised  to  them,  so  that  they  would  be  eager 
and  happy  to  come  into  it. 

Moses  did  as  God  commanded.  He  appointed  twelve  men, 
one  from  each  tribe.  He  told  them  how  they  were  to  enter 
Canaan,  by  the  south,  and  into  the  hill  country.  They  were 
to  find  out  what  sort  of  people  lived  in  the  land  and  what 
kind  of  land  it  was — whether  there  were  cities ;  and  what 
kind  of  fruits  and  grains  it  produced. 

The  men  set  out.  Probably  they  did  not  all  go  together, 
for  such  a  large  party  would  have  attracted  attention.  Per¬ 
haps  they  went  in  groups  of  two  or  three,  seeming  to  be 
Egyptians  traveling  through  the  land.  After  forty  days  they 
came  back.  They  had  been  from  one  end  of  the  land  to  the 
other.  They  reported  that  the  land  was  a  rich  land — a  land 
flowing  with  milk  and  honey.  They  brought  back  with  them 
pomegranates  and  figs  and  a  great  cluster  of  grapes,  from 
the  valley  of  Eshcol,  so  large  that  two  men  carried  it  on  a 
staff  between  them.  But — they  said  that  the  land  was  in¬ 
habited  by  giants ;  that  there  were  strongly  fortified  cities ; 
that  the  people  were  very  powerful. 

Then  one  of  the  spies,  Caleb,  spoke  out. 

“  Let  us  go  up  at  once  and  possess  the  land,”  he  said,  “  for 
we  are  well  able  to  overcome  it.” 

“  No,  no !  ”  cried  the  others.  “  They  are  too  strong  for  us. 
We  cannot  overcome  them.  There  are  giants  in  the  land ! 
We  cannot  fight  against  them !  ”  And  all  the  people  joined 
in  crying  out  in  terror :  “  Why  did  we  leave  Egypt  ?  Why 
did  we  follow  Moses  and  Aaron?  ”  They  forgot  all  the  good 
things  that  God  had  done  for  them. 

Caleb  seems  to  have  been  at  first  the  only  one  of  the  spies 
who  trusted  God.  Then  Joshua  the  son  of  Nun,  who  per¬ 
haps  had  just  returned  from  his  journey,  joined  him. 

“  We  can  take  the  land,”  he  said.  “  It  is  an  exceedingly 
good  land.  We  can  take  it!  If  God  wants  us  to  have  it,  we 
can  have  it.  He  will  give  it  to  us !  ” 

But  the  people  would  not  listen  to  the  two  brave  spies. 
They  heard  only  the  words  of  the  ten  cowards.  So  angry 
did  they  become  that  they  wanted  to  stone  Caleb  and  Joshua. 
Then  once  more  God’s  glory  shone  in  the  tabernacle.  Caleb 
and  Joshua  were  saved,  but  God  knew  that  the  people  whom 


JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 


301 ‘ 


he  had  brought  from  Egypt  were  not  yet  ready  to  be  an  in¬ 
dependent  nation  who  could  rule  in  a  land  of  their  own. 


Handwork 

Continue  your  work  on  the  tabernacle  and  its  furnishings 
if  you  have  not  yet  completed  them.  Then  make  on  the 
'  sand  table  a  scene  representing  the  forward  journey  of  the 
,  Children  of  Israel  into  the  Wilderness  of  Paran.  Particu¬ 
larly  show  the  Levites  carrying  the  Ark. 
j  j  & 

I 

Notebook  Work 

In  your  notebook  write  the  names  of  the  spies  as  you  find 
them  in  Numbers,  chapter  13.  Then  write  something  more 
about  Caleb  and  Joshua.  To  what  tribes  did  they  belong? 
What  were  the  names  of  their  fathers  ? 


Expressional  Activity 

If  mother  or  father  or  teacher  asks  you  to  do  an  errand 
this  week  do  it  gladly  and  as  well  as  you  are  able  to  do  it. 
Remember  how  Caleb  and  Joshua  did  the  errand  upon  which 
Moses  sent  them,  and  do  that  which  you  are  asked  to  do  in 
a  similar  spirit. 


Memory  Work 

Learn  the  words  of  the  first  three  verses  of  the  following 
poem : 

“Thus  far  the  Lord  has  led  us  on — in  darkness  and  in  day, 

Through  all  the  varied  stages  of  the  narrow  homeward  way. 

Long  since,  he  took  the  journey,  he  trod  that  path  alone; 

Its  trials  and  its  dangers,  full  well  himself  hath  known. 


“  Thus  far  the  Lord  hath  led  us — the  promise  has  not  failed. 

The  enemy  encountered  oft  has  never  quite  prevailed  : 

The  shield  of  faith  has  turned  aside  or  quenched  each  fiery  dart; 
The  Spirit’s  sword  in  weakest  hands  has  forced  him  to  depart. 


“  Thus  far  the  Lord  hath  led  us — the  waters  have  been  high, 
But  yet  in  passing  through  them,  we  felt  that  he  was  nigh. 

A  very  present  Helper  in  trouble  we  have  found. 

His  comforts  most  abounded  when  our  sorrows  did  abound.” 


302  JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 

SUNDAY  SESSION 

THE  PUNISHMENT  OF  THE  ISRAELITES 

Numbers  14:11-38 
The  Memory  Verse 

“  Jehovah  is  slow  to  anger,  and  abundant  in  lovingkind¬ 
ness.  ” — Numbers  14:18a. 

§ 

The  Lesson  Story 

God  had  led  the  people  of  Israel  out  from  Egypt  in  a 
wonderful  way.  He  had  led  them  through  the  Red  Sea. 
He  had  sent  his  pillar  of  cloud  and  fire  before  them  and  had 
given  them  the  Ten  Commandments  to  guide  them  in  their 
lives.  And  yet,  when  the  ten  cowardly  spies  brought  back  a 
report  that  they  thought  there  would  be  difficulties  in  con¬ 
quering  the  Promised  Land  they  forgot  all  that  God  had 
done  for  them  ;  they  were  afraid  to  undertake  the  conquest 
of  the  land,  even  with  God’s  help.  Is  it  any  wonder  that 
God  was  angry  ? 

“  I  will  destroy  these  people,”  God  said  to  Moses.  “I  will 
make  your  descendants  my  chosen  people,  instead  of  these 
men  and  women  who  do  not  trust  me.” 

But  Moses  loved  the  people  of  Israel.  He  prayed  that  God 
would  not  destroy  them,  and  God  heard  his  prayer.  He 
knew,  however,  that  the  people  were  not  ready  to  enter  the 
Promised  Land.  They  were  still  cowardly  slaves.  They 
had  to  be  trained  before  they  were  able  to  rule  themselves. 
And  so  God  spoke.  His  words  showed  how  the  Israelites 
were  to  be  punished. 

“  All  that  were  numbered  of  you,”  he  said,  “  according  to 
your  whole  number,  from  twenty  years  old  and  upward,  that 
have  murmured  against  me,  surely  ye  shall  not  come  into  the 
land,  concerning  which  I  sware  that  I  would  make  you  dwell 
therein,  save  Caleb  the  son  of  Jephunneh,  and  Joshua  the 
son  of  Nun.” 

And  so  it  was  that  the  people  of  Israel  turned  back  again 
from  the  border  of  the  Promised  Land.  For  thirty-eight 
years  more  they  wandered  in  the  wilderness,  going  from 
place  to  place,  instead  of  having  an  opportunity  to  build  their 


JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 


303 


homes  and  to  raise  crops  of  grain  in  their  own  fields,  and  to 
build  cities  in  the  beautiful  land  of  Canaan  which  God  had 
promised  to  Abraham  and  his  descendants.  God  knew  that 
they  were  not  yet  ready  to  enter  the  Promised  Land.  They 
needed  more  years  of  training  in  the  wilderness  school. 

Putting  the  Lesson  Into  the  Liee  oe  the  Class 

Our  Memory  Verse  says,  “  Jehovah  is  slow  to  anger,  and 
abundant  in  lovingkindness.”  Over  and  over  again  he  had 
given  to  the  people  of  Israel  opportunities  to  see  how  they 
could  trust  in  him.  And  yet  they  failed.  We,  too,  sometimes 
forget  what  great  things  he  has  done  for  us,  and  show  that 
we  have  not  yet  learned  to  trust  him  completely.  We  need 
never  be  afraid  to  go  forward,  even  though  the  way  seems 
hard,  if  we  know  that  we  are  doing  what  God  wants  us  to  do. 

God  knows  that  his  people  must  be  trained  before  they 
can  do  his  work.  When  we  are  not  ready,  he  sends  us  les¬ 
sons  that  will  teach  us  to  know  him  better. 

Caleb  and  Joshua  had  trusted  God  and  were  ready  to 
enter  the  Promised  Land.  If  we  trust  him,  we  shall  be  read.y 
to  do  our  work  for  him,  too. 

The  Lesson  Truth  in  Your  Life 

If  we  trust  God,  we  can  go  forward  and  in  his  name  do 
things  which  seem  very  hard.  But  if  we  do  not  trust  him, 
we  must  learn  the  lesson  of  trust,  before  we  are  ready  to  do 
his  work.  Let  us  go  forward  in  his  name  and  do  his  work 
in  the  world. 


A  Story  to  Read 

“I  just  despise  this  French!  And  I  want  to  go  out  to 
play  baseball,  too.  I  don't  care  if  I  don’t  pass  !  ” 

And  John  threw  down  his  French  book,  and  started  for 
the  door. 

“  Oh,  come  back,  John !  It  isn’t  so  hard.  I’ve  finished  my 
exercises  and  I’ll  help  you,”  offered  Walter. 

“It’s  easy  enough  for  you.  You  like  it,”  John  muttered. 
But  he  knew  in  his  heart  that  this  wasn’t  the  truth.  He 
always  learned  his  lessons  in  less  time  than  Walter  did,  and 


304 


JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 


he  almost  always  got  better  marks.  It  was  only  lately  that 
Walter  had  been  pulling  up  to  him,  and  he  knew  that  it  was 
because  Walter  studied  and  studied  and  studied. 

The  two  cousins  were  in  the  same  class  at  school,  and 
they  were  very  good  friends.  Both  adored  their  Uncle  Tom, 
who  lived  in  the  city,  and  his  visits  to  Watertown  were  rare 
treats  to  the  boys. 

The  very  next  day  Uncle  Tom  came  to  Watertown  on  a 
flying  trip. 

“I'm  starting  for  Europe  very  soon,”  he  said,  “and  I 
want  to  take  a  boy  with  me.  Which  shall  it  be  ?  Who  knows 
the  most  French?  ”  Walter  looked  at  John  and  John  looked 
at  Walter.  Who  did  know  the  most? 

“  Let’s  pretend  we’re  there,”  said  Uncle  Tom,  and  he 
asked  a  question,  looking  at  John  first.  But  John  didn’t 
understand  what  he  said. 

Uncle  Tom  turned  to  Walter  and  repeated  his  question. 
And  Walter  answered  in  French!  Then  he  and  Uncle  Tom 
talked,  and  John  listened  without  understanding  one  word. 
He  knew  then  that  he  had  lost  his  opportunity.  He  was  not 
ready  to  go  on  the  wonderful  voyage  to  the  wonderful  land 
of  France ! 

“  You  will  have  to  wait  until  I  go  another  year,  John,”  said 
Uncle  Tom.  “  Walter  will  get  more  out  of  the  trip  than  you 
will  because  he  learned  his  lessons  and  understands  the 
language.  When  you  can  speak  and  understand  French  as 
well  as  he  does,  I  will  take  you,  too.  Another  year,  John. 
Another  year !  ” 

And  so  John  had  to  wait.  Uncle  Tom  did  not  go  abroad 
the  next  year,  or  the  next.  But  when  he  did  go,  John  was 
ready.  He  knew  how  to  write  and  speak  French.  He  could 
make  the  very  best  of  the  trip. 

That  is  the  way  it  was  with  the  Children  of  Israel.  They 
had  not  learned  the  lesson  of  trust  in  God,  and  so  they  could 
not  go  into  the  Promised  Land.  They  had  to  be  trained  for 
many  years  in  the  wilderness  school,  before  God  took  them 
again  to  the  Promised  Land  which  they  might  have  reached 
so  many  years  before,  if  they  had  learned  their  lesson. 


305 


1 

JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 

EXPRESSION AL  SESSION 

TRUSTING  IN  GOD’S  PROMISES 
Psalm  91  ;  105  :38-45 

Suggestions  for  the  Leader’s  Opening  Address 
The  Israelites  in  the  wilderness  did  not  trust  in  God’s 
promises.  Though  they  had  had  so  many  proofs  of  his  love 
and  care,  they  did  not  believe  that  he  could  bring  them  into 
the  land  which  he  had  promised  to  them.  And  so  God  did 
not  let  them  enter  Canaan  at  the  time  when  they  might  have 
done  so.  For  thirty-eight  years  more  they  had  to  wander 
in  the  desert,  until  they  had  learned  the  lesson  of  faith  and 
trust. 

We  Juniors  of  to-day,  who  live  more  than  two  thousand 
years  after  the  days  of  Moses  and  the  Children  of  Israel, 
have  had  many  proofs  of  God’s  love  and  care  for  us.  We 
have  even  more  proofs  than  they  had,  for  we  know  how  God 
sent  into  the  world  his  Son,  Jesus  Christ,  the  greatest  Proof 
of  all  of  his  love  for  us.  Let  us  ask  God  to  help  us  to  trust 
in  him  and  his  promises  for  us  and  for  all  the  people  in  the 
world. 


The  Ceass  Prayer 

Our  Father  in  heaven,  we  know  that  thou  art  as  ready  to 
carry  out  thy  promises  to  the  children  of  to-day  as  thou  wert 
to  carry  them  out  for  the  Children  of  Israel.  Help  us  to 
trust  thee  fully,  and  to-  go  forward,  knowing  that  thou  art 
with  us  in  every  way.  We  thank  thee  for  the  great  Proof 
of  thy  love  and  care  which  thou  hast  given  us  in  Jesus 
Christ  our  Lord.  Amen. 

Verses  for  Use  in  the  Meeting 

Teremiah  33:14;  Matthew  24:35;  Hebrews  10:23;  11:11  ; 
I  John  2:25;  Psalm  37:40;  91:1,  2;  144:2;  18:1;  Deuter¬ 
onomy  1  :21  ;  Romans  8:31. 

Hymns  that  May  Be  Used  in  Connection 
with  the  Meeting 

“  Trust  and  Obey.” 

“  A  Mightv  Fortress  Is  Our  God.” 

o 


306 


JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 


“  God  Will  Take  Care  of  You.” 

“  I  A  nr  Trusting  Thee,  Lord  Jesus.” 

“  The  Lord’s  Our  Rock.” 

“  This  Is  My  Father’s  World.” 

Questions  for  Use  in  the  Meeting 

1.  How  did  the  Israelites  in  the  wilderness  show  that 
they  failed  to  trust  God’s  promises? 

2.  What  were  the  names  of  the  faithful  spies? 

3.  What  was  their  report  about  the  nd  of  Canaan? 

4.  In  what  way  did  God  punish  the  Children  of  Israel 
for  their  lack  of  trust? 

5.  How  long  did  they  wander  in  the  wilderness 
altogether  ? 

6.  Do  people  to-day  ever  show  that  they  fail  to  trust 
God’s  promises ?  How? 

7.  When  a  hard  task  is  given  you  to  do,  how  do  you  go 
about  it? 

8.  Is  it  braver  to  do  a  difficult  thing  when  you  are  afraid 
to  do  it,  or  is  it  braver  not  to  be  afraid  at  all? 

9.  How  can  we  keep  from  being  afraid? 

Topics  for  Discussion  or  Reports 

1.  Why  the  Children  of  Israel  Were  Cowards. 

2.  God’s  Promise  to  Joshua  and  Caleb. 

3.  The  Punishment  of  the  Israelites. 

4.  Trusting  in  God’s  Promises  To-Day. 

5.  How  Juniors  Can  Show  That  They  Trust  in  God. 

6.  How  Our  Nation  Can  Show  Trust  in  God. 

To  Read  in  the  Meeting 

God’s  punishment — the  training  of  the  Children  of  Israel 
in  the  wilderness — was  given  in  kindness,  as  is  the  training 
which  we  all  receive. 

We  must  be  prepared  before  we  can  undertake  life’s  duties. 
If  we  try  to  obey  God’s  commands,  and  to  do  our  best  in 
the  world,  he  will  do  his  part  in  fulfilling  his  promises. 

If  ever  men  had  the  right  to  lose  their  courage,  and  give 
themselves  up  to  dismal  wasting,  it  was  the  first  planters  in 


JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 


307 


our  own  New  England.  The  shore  was  bleak  and  wild,  the 
climate  severe,  ihe  soils  a  meager,  flinty  inheritance.  They 
had  everything  to  create  by  their  own  patient  industry  out 
of  lean  and  scanty  harvests,  and  without  a  market,  and  yet 
they  .  .  .  conquered  by  stern  effort  and  economy  a  con¬ 
tinually  increasing  wealth.  Well  and  manfully  it  is  proved 
what  power  there  is  in  character  and  industry  to  conquer 
prosperity  anywhere.  And  yet  this  people  have  done  only 
what  it  was  their  duty  to  do.  Had  they  failed  thev  would 
have  dishonored  the  principles  they  were  called  to  illustrate, 
and  God  would  have  charged  it  as  a  crime  against  them. — 
Horace  Bushnele. 

If  you  stand  on  the  mountain  of  faith  and  look  down, 
things  will  seem  easy  to  you;  but  if  you  are  in  the  valley  of 
doubt,  they  will  look  like  giants. — Moody. 


/ 


CHAPTER  XXXI 
WEEK  DAY  SESSION 

TROUBLES  IN  THE  WILDERNESS 
Numbers  20:1  to  21 :9 
The  Memory  Verse 

“  Then  they  cried  unto  Jehovah  in  their  trouble, 

And  he  delivered  them.” — Psalm  107  :6. 

The  Lesson  Story 

The  Israelites,  after  refusing  to  go  forward  into  the  Prom¬ 
ised  Land  as  God  had  wanted  them  to  do,  had  pitched  their 
camp  at  Kadesh-barnea.  Here,  though  they  did  not  know  it, 
they  were  to  have  their  headquarters  for  thirty-eight  years. 
Here,  toward  the  beginning  of  the  period,  Miriam,  the  sister 
of  Moses  and  Aaron  died.  Here  the  Children  of  Israel  really 
began  to  learn  the  lesson  of  what  disobedience  to  God  means. 

Nowadays,  people  do  not  know  exactly  where  Kadesh  is, 
but  many  men  who  have  studied  the  geography  of  this  part 
of  the  world,  say  that  it  is  a  place  called  A  in  Kadis — an  ex¬ 
tensive,  hill-encircled  plain,  several  miles  wide.  From  there 
the  Israelites  led  out  their  flocks  to  find  pasture ;  and  from 
there  they  made  several  attempts  to  reach  Palestine.  But 
the  kings  of  the  surrounding  nations  forbade  them  to  pass, 
and  so,  as  they  were  too  cowardly  to  fight,  and  did  not  trust 
in  God’s  promises,  they  lived  in  the  wilderness  without  set¬ 
tled  homes  until  all  the  men  and  women  who  had  come  out 
of  Egypt,  with,  the  exception  of  Caleb  and  Joshua,  were 
dead. 

You  remember  that  before  this  time,  the  people  of  Israel 
had  complain.!  because  they  did  not  have  the  food  and  drink 
that  they  had  had  in  Egypt.  Now  once  more  they  com¬ 
plained  because  there  was  no  water.  Once  more  Moses  and 
Aaron  prayed  to  God  for  the  people,  and  once  more  God 


308 


1 


JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS  309 

heard  the  prayer.  He  commanded  Moses  to  assemble  the 
Children  of  Israel  before  a  great,  rocky  formation.  There 
Moses  was  to  take  his  rod,  and  speak  to  the  rock,  before 
their  eyes. 

Moses  did  as  God  commanded.  He  called  the  people  to¬ 
gether.  He  spoke  to  them.  But — he  did  not  speak  kindly, 
as  he  usually  did.  He  spoke  hastily.  He  did  not  mention 
God’s  kindness  and  mercy  to  them  as  he  had  done  so  often 
before.  He  said,  “  Shall  we  bring  you  forth  water  out  of 
this  rock?”  Then  he  struck  the  rock.  The  water  sprang 
forth  as  God  had  promised,  and  the  people  drank  as  much 
of  it  as  they  wanted.  But  God  was  grieved  at  the  way  in 
which  Moses  had  acted — at  his  impatience,  and  because  he 
had  not  given  honof  to  God.  And  so  he  told  Moses  that  he 
must  be  punished.  Moses  was  not  to  lead  the  people  into 
the  Promised  Land.  That  honor  was  to  go  to  some  one  else. 

One  trouble  after  another  came  to  the  people  of  Israel  in 
the  wilderness.  The  king  of  Edom  refused  to  let  them  go 
into  his  land.  Aaron  died  and  his  son,  Eleazar,  took  his 
place.  The  people  complained  once  more  against  God,  and 
he  sent  serpents  to  punish  them.  Again  they  repented  their 
impatient  words.  Again  they  asked  Moses  to  helo  diem,  and 
at  God’s  command,  he  set  up  a  brazen  serpent  which  cured 
those  who  had  been  bitten  by  the  serpents  of  the  desert. 

So  one  tx  uble  after  another  came  to  the  Children  of 
Israel.  They  had  failed  to  trust  God.  Now  they  must  learn 
the  lesson  of  trust  by  remaining  in  the  wilderness  for  many 
years.  They  must  lie  taught  to  believe  in  God’s  promises 
to  them. 


Handwork 

Continue  the  work  on  the  tabernacle  and  its  furnishings, 
if  you  have  not  yet  completed  this. 

Map  Work 

Put  on  the  blackboard  a  map  of  the  Sinaitic  Peninsula,  and 
mark  the  way  by  which  the  Israelites  traveled,  copying  the 
map  given  in  Chapter  XXVI.  Put  a  small  copy  of  the  map 
in  your  notebook,  also. 


310  JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 

Expressionae  Activity 

If  you  are  tempted  this  week  to  be  impatient  because 
things  do  not  go  exactly  as  you  want  them  to  go,  remember 
the  difficulties  of  the  Israelites  and  of  Moses  in  the  wilder¬ 
ness,  and  try  to  control  your  impatience.  Say  a  quick  prayer 
to  God,  and  he  will  help  you  when  everything  seems  to  be 
going  wrong. 

Memory  Work 

Learn  these  verses  of  the  Memory  Poem,  which  you 
started  last  week : 

Thus  far  the  Lord  has  led  us — our  need  has  been  supplied, 

And  mercy  has  encompassed  us  about  on  every  side ; 

Still  falls  the  daily  manna,  the  pure  rock  fountains  flow 

And  many  flowers  of  love  and  hope  along  the  wayside  grow. 

Yes,  “  they  that  know  thy  name,  O  Lord,  shall  put  their  trust  in 
thee,” 

While  nothing  in  themselves  but  sin  and  helplessness  they  see. 

The  race  thou  hast  appointed  us  with  patience  we  can  run, 

Thou  wilt  perform  until  the  end  the  work  thou  hast  begun. 

— Janfc  Borthwick. 

SUNDAY  SESSION 

HOW  GOD  HONORED  MOSES 

Numbers  27:15-20;  Deuteronomy  32:48-52;  chapter  34; 
Revelation  15:1-4. 

The  Memory  Verse 

“  He  that  doeth  the  will  of  God  abideth  for  ever.” 

—I  John  2:17b. 

The  Lesson  Story 

For  thirty-eight  years  the  Children  of  Israel  encamped 
near  Kadesh-barnea.  They  made  various  expeditions  from 
this  place,  but  it  was  there  that  the  tabernacle  was  set  up, 
and  to  it  they  returned  from  their  wanderings  in  search  of 
pasturage  for  their  flocks  and  herds. 

At  last,  in  the  fortieth  year  after  they  had  left  Egypt, 
the  pillar  of  cloud  moved  forward  again.  Once  more  the 


JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 


311 


tabernacle  was  taken  down,  and  carried  at  the  head  of  the 
line  of  the  Israelites.  They  marched  eastward  to  the  south¬ 
ern  end  of  the  Dead  Sea.  Then  they  turned  north  into  the 
land  of  Moab,  and  came  to  a  broad  space  between  the  river 
Jordan  and  the  mountains  of  Moab,  about  opposite  the  city 
of  Jericho.  Here  they  encamped  upon  the  eastern  bank  of 
the  river.  And  it  was  while  the  Israelites  were  in  this  place, 
that  God’s  last  command  came  to  Moses. 

The  leader  of  the  Israelites  was  an  old  man.  One  hun¬ 
dred  and  twenty  years  had  passed  since  the  time  when  the 
Princess  Thermuthis  had  rescued  the  baby  in  the  bulrush 
cradle.  And  yet  the  Bible  tells  us,  Deuteronomy  34  :7,  “  His 
eye  was  not  dim,  nor  his  natural  force  abated.”  God  knew, 
however,  that  the  time  had  come  to  take  him  to  the  heavenly 
home.  He  spoke  to  his  servant. 

“  Go  up  into  Mount  Nebo,  which  is  in  the  land  of  Moab, 
that  is  over  against  Jericho,”  God  said,  “  and  behold  the  land 
which  I  have  given  unto  the  Children  of  Israel.  And  when 
thou  hast  seen  it,  thou  shalt  be  gathered  unto  thy  people.” 

Then  God  commanded  that  Joshua,  the  son  of  Nun,  should 
be  appointed  Moses’  successor  as  leader  of  the  Israelites. 
And  this  was  done.  Joshua  was  made  the  leader  of  the 
people.  Moses  ascended  the  slopes  of  Mount  Nebo,  which 
is  also  called  Pisgah  ;  from  there  he  could  see  far  across  the 
river  and  the  mountains  over  the  land  which  was  to  be  the 
home  of  the  people  whom  he  had  led  for  so  many  years — 
the  land  of  Gilead,  and  Dan,  and  Naphtali,  and  Ephraim, 
and  Manasseh  ;  all  the  land  of  Judah,  to  the  Mediterranean 
Sea;  and  the  south,  and  the  plain  of  Jericho,  unto  Zoar. 

Then,  after  the  glorious  vision  of  the  land  of  Canaan, 
Moses  died,  and  God  buried  him,  there  in  the  valley  of 
Beth-peor  of  the  land  of  Moab.  And  to  this  day,  “  no  man 
knoweth  of  his  sepulchre.”  Moses  was  a  great  leader,  a  great 
prophet,  and  a  great  man  of  God.  And  God  honored  him 
highly  in  taking  him  to  himself,  and  burying  him  there  after 
he  had  a  wondrous  vision  of  the  land  to  which  he  had  led 
his  people. 

For  thirty  days,  the  Children  of  Israel  mourned  for  their 
great  leader,  and  then  Joshua  took  the  command.  Though 
Moses  was  gone,  the  people  must  still  move  forward. 


312 


JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 


Putting  the  Lesson  Into  the  Life  of  the  Class 

Moses,  the  great  leader  of  the  Israelites,  had  faults,  iust 
as  you  and  I  have,  but  he  conquered  those  faults,  and,  though 
God  punished  him,  he  honored  Km  highly.  We,  too,  can 
conquer  our  faults. 

Mo  ses  was  hou-tempered.  He  showed  this  when  he  was 
a  young  man,  when  he  killed  the  Egyptian.  Exodus  2  :11-14. 

Mo  ses  was  at  first  unwilling  to  obey  God’s  command  to  go 
before  Pharaoh.  Exodus  3:11.  He  objected  to  the  direc¬ 
tions  which  God  gave  to  him.  He  as  self-willed. 

Moses  could  be  impatient  as  he  showed  when  he  struck 
the  rock  at  Meribah.  Numbers  20:10.  And  for  this  fault, 
he  was  punished  by  not  being  allowed  to  enter  the  Promised 
Land. 

Yet  we  know  that  Moses  conquered  those  faults  in  himself. 
W  e  forget  that  he  was  impatient,  and  self-willed,  and  hot- 
tempered  naturally,  and  often  we  use  his  name  in  describing 
a  person  who  is  just  the  opposite  to  this,  for  we  say  “  as 
meek  as  Moses.”  Yet  Moses  was  not  really  meek.  He  had 
only  learned  to  conquer  himself  so  well  that  his  faults  have 
been  forgotten.  We.  too,  can  conquer  ou.  faults,  if  we  work 
and  pray  as  Moses  did.  Then  God  will  feel  that  we.  too.  are 
worthy  of  the  honor  of  .going  to  be  with  him  in  the  heavenly 
home,  when  we  have  finished  our  work  for  him  in  the  world. 

The  Lesson  Truth  in  Your  Life 

Moses  conquered  his  faults  by  prayer  and  faith  in  God. 
I,  too,  can  conquer  my  faults  in  the  same  way. 

A  Poem  to  Read  with  the  Lesson 

By  Nebo’s  lonely  mountain, 

On  this  side  Jordan's  wave, 

In  a  vale  in  the  land  of  Moab 
There  lies  a  lonely  grave. 

And  no  man  knows  that  sepulcher. 

And  no  man  saw  it  e’er. 

For  the  angels  of  God  upturned  the  sod 
And  laid  the  dead  man  there. 

That  was  the  grandest  funeral 
That  ever  passed  on  earth ; 

But  no  man  heard  the  trampling, 

Or  saw  the  train  go  forth — 


Copyrighted  by  Harold  lopping.  Harold  Copping. 

MOSES  ON  MOUNT  NEBO. 


JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 


313 


Noiselessly  as  the  daylight 

Comes  back  when  night  is  done, 

And  the  crimson  streak  on  ocean’s  cheek 
Grows  into  the  great  sun. 

This  was  the  truest  warrior 
That  ever  buckled  sword, 

This  the  most  gifted  poet 
That  ever  breathed  a  word ; 

And  never  earth’s  philosopher 
Traced  with  his  golden  pen, 

On  the  deathless  page,  truths  half  so  sage 
As  he  wrote  down  for  men. 

And  had  he  not  high  honor, 

The  hillside  for  a  pall, 

To  lie  in  state  while  angels  wait 
With  stars  for  tapers  tall, 

And  the  dark  rock  pines  like  tossing  plumes 
Over  his  bier  to  wave, 

And  God’s  own  hand  in  that  lonely  land 
To  lay  him  in  the  grave? 

•  ••••• 

O  lonely  grave  in  Moab’s  land ! 

O  dark  Beth-peor’s  hill ! 

Speak  to  these  curious  hearts  of  ours, 

And  teach  them  to  be  still. 

God  hath  his  mysteries  of  grace, 

Ways  that  we  cannot  tell ; 

He  hides  them  deep,  like  the  hidden  sleep 
Of  him  he  loved  so  well. 

— Cecil  Frances  Alexander. 


EXPRESSION AL  SESSION 

LEARNING  THE  LESSON  OF  TRUST 
Matthew  6:28-34, 

Suggestions  for  the  Leader’s  Opening  Address 

Moses  had  learned  the  lesson  of  trusting  in  God’s  prom¬ 
ises.  He  knew  that  God  would  do  as  he  had  promised  the 
Israelites,  if  they  would  only  trust  in  him.  In  the  New 
Testament,  too,  Jesus  taught  his  followers  a  lesson  of  trust. 
In  the  Sermon  on  the  Mount  he  tells  us  that  God  will  pro- 


314 


JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 


vide  for  us  all  things  that  we  need.  He  cares  for  us,  and 
for  every  little  thing  about  us.  “  Are  not  five  sparrows  sold 
for  two  pence?”  he  asks;  and  again,  “Consider  the  lilies, 
how  they  grow.”  God  cares  for  the  birds  and  flowers.  He 
cares  for  us,  too.  Moses  knew  this  truth,  and  we,  too,  know 
it,  for  we  have  Jesus  teaching  and  the  teaching  of  all  the 
men  and  women  in  the  Bible,  and  of  all  the  men  and  women 
since  Bible  days,  who  have  learned  the  lesson  that  God  is 
faithful  in  keeping  his  promises.  Let  us  thank  God  that  we 
have  learned  in  his  Word,  the  Bible,  and  through  those  who 
have  gone  before  us,  how  we  may  trust  in  him,  and  in  his 
plans  for  us. 

The  Class  Prayer 

Our  Father  in  heaven,  we  thank  thee  that  we  know  from 
the  Bible  and  from  the  witnessing  of  many  men  and  women 
how  we  can  trust  in  thy  promises.  We  pray  that  we  may 
learn  the  lesson  of  trust  in  thee  and  love  for  thee.  For  Jesus’ 
sake.  Amen. 


Verses  for  Use  in  the  Meeting 

Psalm  2:12;  4:5;  17:7;  56:4;  73:28;  Proverbs  30:5; 
Daniel  3:16,  17,  28;  II  Samuel  22:3. 

Hymns  that  May  Be  Used  in  Connection 
with  the  Meeting 

The  same  hymns  that  were  used  in  connection  with  the 
Expressional  Session  of  Chapter  XXX. 

Questions  for  Use  in  the  Meeting 

1.  Where  did  the  Children  of  Israel  encamp  for  thirty- 
eight  years  ? 

2.  What  attempts  did  they  make  to  reach  the  Promised 
Land  ? 

3.  What  troubles  did  they  undergo  in  the  wilderness? 

4.  Where  did  Moses  die? 

5.  Where  was  Moses  buried  ? 

6.  How  did  God  fulfill  his  promises  to  Moses? 


JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS  315 

7.  How  can  Juniors  show  that  they  trust  in  God’s 
promises  ? 

8.  How  can  you  show  that  you  trust  in  God’s  promises? 

Topics  for  Discussion  or  Reports 

1.  Kadesh-Barnea. 

2.  The  Brazen  Serpent. 

3.  Balaam  and  Balak. 

4.  Mount  Nebo,  or  Pisgah. 

5.  The  Burial  of  Moses. 

6.  Why  Moses  Did  Not  Enter  the  Promised  Land. 

7.  Modern  Examples  of  Trust  in  God’s  Promises. 

8.  How  God’s  Promises  Have  Been  Fulfilled  for  Me. 

To  Read  in  the  Meeting 

Some  of  you  who  spend  your  summers  at  the  shore  have 
probably  seen  a  United  States  Life-Saving  Station,  with  its 
big  boat  resting  on  its  truck,  all  ready  to  be  run  down  to  the 
water.  Perhaps  you’ve  seen  the  men  launch  it  for  a  drill,  or 
in  a  storm  while  the  huge  breakers  were  rolling  up  the  beach. 
On  the  campus  of  Northwestern  University,  which  is  right 
on  the  shore  of  Lake  Michigan,  there  is  just  such  a  station. 
The  members  of  the  crew  are  always  students  of  the  univer¬ 
sity,  but  the  master  is  an  experienced  seaman.  For  many 
years  the  master  was  a  tall,  gaunt  Norwegian,  with  a  flowing 
beard.  He  had  come  to  this  country  when  he  was  a  young 
fellow,  and  had  tried  to  make  his  living  as  a  fisherman  along 
the  shore  of  Lake  Michigan.  He  was  very  poor  at  first. 
Sometimes  he  did  not  know  where  the  next  meal  was  to  come 
from.  But  he  always  trusted  the  Lord. 

People  finally  discovered  that  he  was  a  very  skillful  boat¬ 
man,  and  he  was  made  master  of  the  life-saving  station. 
Under  his  leadership  the  crew  rescued  hundreds  of  lives  and 
thousands  of  dollars’  worth  of  property.  In  one  wreck  they 
made  three  trips  through  a  terrible  surf,  to  the  disabled  ves¬ 
sel,  and  brought  every  person — and  there  were  twenty  or 
more — safe  ashore. 

But  at  what  cost  to  captain  and  crew !  The  waves  dashed 
continually  over  the  boat,  threatening  to  capsize  it  any  mo- 


316 


JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 


ment  and  throw  them  all  into  the  icy  water.  One  wave  came 
over  the  stern  with  such  violence  that  the  captain,  who  was 
standing  at  the  steering  oar,  was  thrown  full  length  in  the 
boat.  The  men’s  soaked  clothing  froze  to  them,  and  their 
mittens  froze  to  the  oars.  It  was  no  wonder  that  one  man 
was  taken  down  with  rheumatic  fever  and  was  in  the  hospital 
six  weeks. 

The  people  who  lived  along  the  shore  were  so  impressed 
with  the  bravery  of  this  rescue  that  they  held  a  banquet  in 
honor  of  the  captain  and  his  crew.  After  various  speeches 
had  been  made,  describing  what  the  crew  had  done,  the  cap¬ 
tain  was  called  on.  This  is  what  he  said : 

“  Yes,  it  was  a  hard  job,  but  the  Lord  helped  us.  We 
have  faced  difficult  situations  like  this  many  times.  More 
than  once  I  have  said  to  myself  :  ‘  We  can’t  do  it !  It  is  im¬ 
possible  !  ’  But  it  was  our  duty  to  go  ahead  and  leave  the 
results  to  the  Lord.  We’ve  done  our  best,  and  the  Lord  has 
helped  us.  We  have  never  lost  a  member  of  the  crew  and  I 
believe  that  it  is  all  due  to  the  Lord.” 

A  gentleman  who  was  interested  in  the  captain’s  simple 
faith  happened  to  meet  him  soon  afterwards  walking  along 
the  shore  of  the  lake.  “  Well,  captain,”  he  said,  “  so  you 
believe  that  the  Lord  takes  care  of  you  and  your  crew, 
do  you  ?  ” 

“  Yes,”  said  the  captain,  “  the  Lord  takes  care  of  anyone 
who  is  doing  his  duty.  If  I  come  to  a  river  and  it’s  my  duty 
to  try  to  get  across,  I  must  get  right  into  the  water  and  do 
the  best  I  can  to  get  over.” 

“  But  suppose,  captain,  you  should  get  drowned  trying  to 
get  over  ?  ” 

“  Well,  that’s  all  right,  too!  ”  said  the  captain. 

— Adapted  from  an  account  by  George  A.  CoE. 


STORIES  OF  THE  CONQUEST  OF  CANAAN 


CHAPTER  XXXII 

WEEK  DAY  SESSION 

THE  PLACES  OF  THE  LESSON 

Deuteronomy  8  :7- 9 ;  3  :29 ;  4 :46 ;  1  :2,  3  ;  Numbers  13  :27  ; 
14:8;  32:49;  33:49,  50;  35:1. 

The:  Memory  Verse 

“  If  Jehovah  delight  in  us,  then  he  will  bring  us  into  this 
land,  and  give  it  unto  us ;  a  land  which  floweth  with  milk 
and  honey.” — Numbers  14:8. 

The  Lesson  Story 

The  Children  of  Israel  were  almost  at  the  end  of  the  forty 
years  of  wandering  in  the  wilderness.  They  had  pitched 
their  camp  in  the  land  of  Moab,  across  the  river  Jordan 
from  the  land  of  Canaan,  which  God  had  promised  to  Abra¬ 
ham  for  his  inheritance. 

Moab.  Moab  was  the  country  east  of  the  Jordan  River, 
and  was  bounded  on  the  west  by  the  Dead  Sea.  It  is  a  roll¬ 
ing  plateau,  about  thirty-two  hundred  feet  above  the  level  of 
the  sea,  and  there  are  very  steep  cliffs  along  the  shores.  It 
was  in  “  the  plain  of  Moab,”  that  the  Israelites  were  en¬ 
camped  at  the  time  of  the  lesson.  They  remained  there  at 
Shittim,  which  is  also  called  “  Abel-Shittim,” — “  the  meadow 
of  acacias,” — for  several  months.  There  many  important 
events  happened. 

Shittim  is  situated  on  a  table-land,  the  upper  of  three  ter¬ 
races,  which  here  form  the  valley  of  the  Jordan.  The  table¬ 
land  extends  for  a  distance  of  more  than  three  miles,  and  is 
covered  with  groves  of  acacia  trees.  There  Joshua  was  pub¬ 
licly  appointed  to  be  the  successor  of  Moses.  There  Moses 
delivered  his  farewell  address  to  the  people  whom  he  had 
led  so  long,  and  the  camp  there  was  broken  up  only  when 

319 


320 


JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 


the  Israelites  were  led  across  the  river  Jordan  into  the  Prom¬ 
ised  Land. 

The  Jordan  River.  The  Jordan  River  is  one  of  the 
strangest  rivers  in  the  world.  It  is  not  a  large  stream,  if  you 
compare  it  with  the  Mississippi  or  with  the  Amazon,  but  it 


MTHERMON  :0 


is  one  of  the  most  important  rivers  in  the  history  of  the 
world.  Its  name — the  Jordan — means  “the  descender,”  and 
it  is  called  this  because,  between  its  source  in  a  cave  in 
Banias  and  its  end  at  the  Dead  Sea,  it  drops  almost  twenty- 
three  hundred  feet.  It  is  so  winding  that  in  going  a  distance 


JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 


321 


of  sixty  miles  as  the  crow  flies,  it  covers  at  least  two  hun¬ 
dred  miles.  The  current  is  very  swift,  and  the  water  very 
muddy.  The  Jordan  Valley  is  exceedingly  hot  from  the 
early  spring  to  the  late  autumn.  Sometimes  the  temperature 
reaches  118  degrees. 

Along  the  Jordan  River,  many  great  events  happened. 
There,  in  Old  Testament  days,  at  the  command  of  Elisha, 
Naaman  was  cured  of  his  leprosy  by  bathing  in  the  muddy 
waters  of  the  stream.  There,  in  New  Testament  days,  John 
the  Baptist  baptized  Jesus.  And  we  shall  find  in  our  lessons 
about  Joshua  and  the  conquest  of  Canaan  that  it  was  the 
scene  of  one  of  the  most  important  happenings  in  the  story 
of  how  the  Children  of  Israel  reached  the  Promised  Land. 

Jericho.  Jericho,  “  the  city  of  palm  trees,”  is  to-day  a 
wretched  little  village,  but  in  the  days  of  Joshua  it  was  an 
important  and  strongly  fortified,  walled  city,  just  across  the 
Jordan  River  from  the  place  where  the  Israelites  were  en¬ 
camped  at  Shittim.  It  was  the  first  place  to  which  they 
would  come  in  Palestine. 

Later  on,  Jericho  was  destroyed,  but  it  was  later  rebuilt, 
and  in  New  Testament  times,  Herod  restored  and  beautified 
it,  and  built  a  royal  residence  and  a  circus  there. 

Handwork 

Make  on  the  sand  table  a  relief  map  of  the  Jordan  River 
valley.  Refer  back  to  the  map  facing  page  78  of  the  Second 
Year,  Part  1  of  these  lessons,  and  work  out  the  scene  of  the 
stories  of  our  next  lessons. 

You  may  also  like  to  build  a  model  of  the  city  of  Jericho. 
Set  off  a  section  at  one  end  of  the  sand  table.  Surround  it 
by  walls  of  “mud”  (sand)  and  “brick”  (small  blocks  of 
wood),  from  which  the  city  walls  of  those  days  were  built. 
Make  palm  trees  of  green  tissue  paper  and  of  bits  of  wood, 
and  set  them  up  to  show  that  Jericho  was  the  “  city  of  palm 
trees.” 


Map  Work  and  Notebook  Work 

Draw  in  your  notebook  a  map  of  the  Jordan  valley,  put¬ 
ting  in  the  camp  of  the  Israelites  at  Shittim,  and  the  city  of 
Jericho  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  river. 


322 


JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 

Expressional  Activity 

During  the  week  try  to  find  in  newspapers  and  magazines 
any  pictures  and  stories  of  the  places  mentioned  in  these 
lessons.  Bring  these  to  class  to  show  and  read  next  week. 

Memory  Work 

Learn  the  words  which  Moses  said  to  the  Children  of 
Israel  just  before  his  death :  “  Be  strong  and  of  good  cour¬ 
age,  fear  not,  nor  be  affrighted  at  them:  for  Jehovah  thy 
God,  he  it  is  that  doth  go  with  thee ;  he  will  not  fail  thee,  nor 
forsake  thee.” — Deuteronomy  31  :6. 

SUNDAY  SESSION 

JOSHUA  APPOINTED  LEADER  OF  ISRAEL 
Numbers  27:15-23;  Joshua,  chapter  1 
The  Memory  Verse 

“  Have  not  I  commanded  thee?  Be  strong  and  of  good 
courage ;  be  not  affrighted,  neither  be  thou  dismayed :  for 
Jehovah  thy  God  is  with  thee  whithersoever  thou  goest.” — 
Joshua  1 :9. 

The  Lesson  Story 

God  had  told  Moses  that  Joshua  was  to  follow  him  as  the 
leader  of  the  Israelites,  and  Moses  had  appointed  him  for¬ 
mally.  Deuteronomy  31  :7.  After  the  days  of  mourning  for 
Moses  were  past,  God  spoke  to  Joshua,  as  he  had  so  often 
before  spoken  to  Moses. 

“  Moses  my  servant  is  dead,”  he  said.  “  Now  therefore 
arise,  go  over  this  Jordan,  thou,  and  all  this  people,  unto  the 
land  which  I  do  give  to  them.  Thou  shalt  be  their  leader, 
and  always  thou  shalt  conquer  thy  enemies,  if  thou  obevest 
my  commands.  Remember  the  book  of  the  law  which  I 
have  given  to  the  people.  Meditate  on  it  day  and  night,  so 
that  thou  mavest  do  all  that  is  written  there.  So  shall  the 
people  of  Israel  have  good  success.” 

Then  God  told  Joshua  more  of  the  land,  and  urged  him 
again  as  Moses  had  urged  him  and  the  people  to  be  strong 


JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 


323 


and  of  good  courage.  Over  and  over  again  God  used  these 
words.  Over  and  over  he  told  Joshua  to  be  brave,  and  to 
trust  in  his  promises.  Perhaps  Joshua  was  afraid  of  the 
task  of  leading  the  people,  as  Moses  had  been  before  him. 
But  God’s  words  gave  him  courage.  Never  do  we  hear  that 
he  failed  to  trust  in  God’s  promises.  Always  he  was  ready 
and  willing  to  do  God’s  commands,  as  he  was  on  the  day 
thirty-eight  years  before  when  he,  with  Caleb,  had  brought 
back  to  the  Israelites  the  good  report  of  Canaan,  and  had 
urged  the  people  to  go  forward  to  take  the  land  which  God 
had  promised  to  them. 

Joshua  was  a  born  leader.  He  did  things  systematically. 
His  first  step  was  to  call  together  the  officers  of  the  people. 
He  commanded  them  to  go  among  the  tribes  and  to  tell  them 
to  prepare  food,  for,  he  said,  within  three  days,  they  should 
go  into  the  land  which  God  had  promised  that  he  would  give 
them.  He  arranged  about  the  people  who  were  to  remain 
in  the  place  where  they  were  then  encamped.  He  arranged 
about  the  men  who'  were  to  lead  the  line  of  march. 

And  the  people  showed  that  they  had  learned  the  lesson  of 
the  wilderness  school.  They  did  not  complain  as  they  had 
complained  to  Moses.  They  agreed  to  what  Joshua  had 
said.  “  All  that  thou  hast  commanded  us  we  will  do,  and 
whithersoever  thou  sendest  us  we  will  go,”  they  said.  Then 
they  promised  that  whoever  disobeyed  the  words  of  Joshua 
would  be  punished  by  death,  and  again  they  repeated  the 
words  of  the  lesson  which  they  seem  to  have  learned  so  well : 
“  Be  strong  and  of  good  courage.” 

God’s  people  were  ready  now  to  enter  the  Promised  Land. 
Thev  were  no  longer  a  race  of  slaves  as  thev  had  been  when 
they  left  Egypt,  but  a  race  of  independent  people.  The 
younger  men  and  women  who  had  grown  up  in  the  wilder¬ 
ness  had  forgotten  the  glories  of  Egypt,  as  well  as  the 
troubles  which  their  fathers  had  suffered  there.  They  were 
thinking  of  the  new  land,  and  not  of  the  land  from  which 
their  fathers  and  mothers  had  come,  to  receive  God’s  prom¬ 
ised  blessing. 

Putting  the:  Lesson  Into  the  Life  of  the  Class 

Moses  died,  but  his  work  went  on,  as  God’s  work  always 


324 


JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 


does  go  on.  God  always  sends  new  leaders  to  take  the  places 
of  those  whom  he  takes  to  the  heavenly  home.  On  the 
monument  of  John  and  Charles  Wesley,  who  are  buried  in 
Westminster  Abbey,  are  these  words :  “  God  buries  the 
worker,  but  carries  on  the  work.” 

Others  shall  sing  the  song, 

Others  shall  right  the  wrong — 

Finish  what  1  begin, 

And  all  I  fail  to  win. 

What  matters  I  or  they, 

Mine  or  another’s  day, 

So  the  right  word  be  said, 

And  life  the  sweeter  made. 

— Whittier. 

God  encouraged  Joshua  to  do  his  work  as  he  had  encour¬ 
aged  Moses.  He  will  help  all  of  us  who  are  working  for 
him,  to  be  strong  and  very  courageous  if  we  trust  him  and 
his  promises. 

The  Children  of  Israel  had  learned  the  lesson  of  the  wil¬ 
derness  wanderings.  Now  they  were  ready  to  trust  God’s 
promise  to  them,  and  to  do  as  he  commanded  them  to  do, 
through  Joshua.  We,  too,  should  trust  God,  and  do  those  > 
things  that  he  wants  us  to  do.  And  the  sooner  we  learn  the 
lesson,  the  better  it  will  be  for  us. 

The  Lesson  Truth  in  Your  Liee 

If  I  do  these  things  that  God  wants  me  to  do,  bravely  and 
courageously,  trusting  in  his  promises,  he  will  help  me  in  all 
those  things  that  I  try  to  do. 

1 

A  Story  to  Read 

There  is  a  story  told  of  General  Sherman,  who,  during  the 
Civil  War,  made  the  victorious  march  through  Georgia  from 
Atlanta  to  the  sea,  which  shows  how  he  was  prepared  for  his 
victory  in  Georgia  as  Joshua  was  prepared  long  before  for 
his  journey  into  the  Promised  Land.  Joshua  had  explored 
the  land  thirty-eight  years  before  as  a  spy.  General  Sher¬ 
man,  in  his  college  days,  had  spent  a  summer  vacation  in 


JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 


325 


Georgia.  While  his  friends  and  companions  were  wasting 
their  time,  he  tramped  over  the  hills  and  made  a  careful  ex¬ 
amination  of  the  country.  Lie  even  made  a  map  of  the  dis¬ 
trict.  Years  passed  and  the  Civil  War  came.  He  was 
ordered  to  march  upon  Atlanta,  and  the  knowledge  that  he 
had  gained  when  he  was  a  college  boy.  on  a  summer  vaca¬ 
tion,  helped  him,  so  that  he  won  the  victory.  Success  is  just 
using  every  opportunity  to  get  knowledge,  which  you  can  use 
when  a  time  of  need  comes.  God  will  help  you  to  win  vic¬ 
tories  if  you  help  him,  and  go  on. 


EXPRES SIGNAL  SESSION 

STRONG  IN  THE  LORD 
Ephesians  6:10,  11,  13-18 

Suggestions  for  the  Leader’s  Opening  Address 

Always  in  the  Bible,  in  the  Old  Testament  and  the  New 
Testament,  we  are  told  to  be  strong  and  brave.  Then,  if  we 
are  doing  those  things  which  God  wants  us  to  do,  if  we  are 
trying  to  do  our  very  best  for  him,  he  will  help  us.  “  Je¬ 
hovah,  the  Lord,  is  my  strength,”  the  Bible  tells  us.  He  will 
give  us  strength.  Paul,  in  his  letter  to  the  Ephesians,  tells 
the  people  to  whom  he  writes,  “  Be  strong.”  Then  he  tells 
them  of  the  armor  which  they  can  put  on,  as  they  gird  their 
loins  with  truth — the  breastplate  of  righteousness,  the  shoes 
of  the  gospel  of  peace,  the  shield  of  faith,  the  helmet  of  sal¬ 
vation,  the  sword  of  the  Spirit,  which  is  the  Word  of  God. 
Joshua,  though  he  lived  more  than  thousand  years  before 
Paul,  had  all  this  armor.  Lvet  us  pray  that  we,  who  live 
almost  two  thousand  years  later  than  Paul,  may  have  it,  too. 

The  Class  Prayer 

Our  Father  in  heaven,  grant  us  that  we  may  be  strong  and 
very  courageous.  Grant  that  we,  too,  may  wear  the  whole 
armor  of  God,  of  which  Paul  wrote  to  the  Ephesians,  that 
we  mav  be  able  to  do  thy  work  as  Joshua  did,  and  as  Paul 
did.  We  ask  in  Jesus’  name.  Amen. 


326  JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 

Verses  for  Use  in  the  Meeting 

I  Samuel  3:9a;  I  Chronicles  28:10;  II  Chronicles  15:7; 
Isaiah  33:4;  Daniel  11:32;  Habakkuk  3:19;  I  Corinthians 
16:13;  II  Corinthians  12:9;  Zechariah  12:5. 


Hymns  that  May  Be  Used  in  Connection 
with  the  Meeting 

“  Stand  Up,  Stand  Up  for  Jesus.” 

“  Stand,  Soldier  of  the  Cross.” 

“  Soldiers  of  Christ,  Arise.” 

“  Onward,  Christian  Soldiers.” 


Questions  for  Use  in  the  Meeting 

1.  Was  Joshua  as  brave  as  Moses  in  beginning  his  work 
for  God  ? 

2.  What  was  God’s  message  to  Joshua?  What  is  his 
message  for  us  to-day? 

3.  What  was  Paul’s  message  to  the  Ephesians?  What 
message  for  us  who  live  to-day  is  there  in  his  words  ? 

Topics  for  Discussion  or  Reports 

1.  Joshua  and  Moses. 

2.  Compare  Paul’s  Message  to  the  Ephesians  and  God’s 
Words  to  Joshua. 

3.  Being  Brave  in  God’s  Work  To-Day. 

4.  The  Braverv  of  Missionaries. 

J 

5.  How  Juniors  Can  Be  Brave  for  God. 

6.  How  I  Can  Be  Brave  This  Week. 


To  Read  in  the  Meeting 

One  command  that  God  gave  to  Joshua  was  that  he  should 
meditate  on  his  law  day  and  night,  and  not  depart  from  it. 
So  Paul  told  the  people  to  whom  he  wrote  to  use  the  sword 
of  the  Spirit,  that  is,  God’s  Word.  We,  too,  can  find  strength 
and  courage  if  we  use  God’s  Word,  and  go  regularly  to  his 
house. 


JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 


327 


When  the  President  of  the  United  States  takes  the  oath  of 
office,  he  presses  his  lips  to  the  Bible.  He  kisses  a  particular 
passage  which  he  himself  chooses.  President  Cleveland 
chose  Psalm  91:12-16;  President  Wilson  chose  Psalm 
119:37-48. 

“  The  regular  service  at  the  coronation  of  the  king  of 
England  has  parts  that  are  taken  from  God’s  speech  to 
Joshua:  The  principal  act  at  the  coronation  is,  of  course,  the 
crowning,  and  the  spiritual  aspect  of  this  is  impressed  on 
the  king  in  the  prayer  which  immediately  follows  the  act  of 
placing  the  crown  on  the  sovereign’s  head :  ‘  Be  strong  and 
of  good  courage ;  observe  the  Commandments  of  God  and 
walk  in  his  holy  ways.  Fight  the  good  fight  of  faith; 
and  lay  hold  on  eternal  life ;  that  in  this  world  you  may  be 
crowned  with  success  and  honor ;  and  when  you  have  fin¬ 
ished  your  course,  receive  a  crown  of  righteousness,  which 
God  the  righteous  Judge  shall  give  you  in  that  day.’ 

“  Every  boy  and  girl,  and  every  man  and  woman  ought  to 
enter  into  full  life  crowned  with  such  pledge  and  such 
consecration.” 


Be  strong ! 

We  are  not  here  to  play,  to  dream,  to  drift, 
We  have  hard  work  to  do,  and  loads  to  lift. 
Shun  not  the  struggle,  face  it;  ’tis  God’s  gift. 


Be  strong ! 

It  matters  not  how  deep  entrenched  the  wrong, 

How  hard  the  battle  goes,  the  day,  how  long ; 

Faint  not,  fight  on!  To-morrow  comes  the  song. 

— Mai/tbie  D.  Babcock. 


Behold  !  the  Christian  warrior  stands 
In  all  the  armor  of  his  God, 

The  Spirit’s  sword  is  in  his  hand, 
His  feet  are  with  the  gospel  shod. 


In  panoply  of  truth  complete, 

Salvation’s  helmet  on  his  head ; 

With  righteousness  a  breastplate  meet 
And  faith’s  broad  shield  before  him  spread. 


328 


JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 


Undaunted  to  the  field  he  goes, 

Yet  vain  were  skill  and  valor  there, 

Unless  to  foil  his  legion  foes 
He  takes  the  trusted  weapon,  prayer. 

Thus,  strong  in  his  Redeemer's  strength, 

Sin,  death,  and  hell  he  tramples  down ; 

Fights  the  good  fight,  and  wins  at  length, 

Through  mercy,  an  immortal  crown. 

— James  Montgomery. 


CHAPTER  XXXIII 
RAHAB  AND  THE  SPIES 
Joshua,  chapter  2 
The  Memory  Verses 

“  Finally,  be  strong  in  the  Lord,  and  in  the  strength  of  his 
might." — Ephesians  6:10. 

“  Watch  ye,  stand  fast  in  the  faith,  quit  you  like  men,  be 
strong.” — I  Corinthians  16:13. 

The  Lesson  Story 

Joshua  remembered  how  Moses  had  sent  Caleb  and  him¬ 
self  and  the  ten  other  spies  into  the  land  of  Canaan,  to  see 
what  sort  of  land  it  was,  and  to  find  out  something  about 
the  country.  So  his  first  step,  after  calling  the  people  to¬ 
gether  was  to  send  out  from  the  camp  two  men  who  were  to 
find  out  all  that  they  could  about  the  city  of  Jericho. 

Secretly  the  two  men  entered  the  city.  They  explored  it. 
They  found  lodging  for  the  night  at  the  home  of  a  woman 
named  Rahab,  who  lived  in  a  house  built  so  close  to  the  wall 
that  the  Bible  says,  “  Her  house  was  upon  the  side  of  the 
wall,  and  she  dwelt  upon  the  wall.”  Perhaps  the  two  men 
selected  this  house  on  purpose.  At  any  rate,  its  position 
served  them  a  good  turn. 

In  some  way,  the  king  of  Jericho  heard  of  their  coming. 
He  sent  his  soldiers  to  seek  for  them  in  Rahab ’s  house,  but 
Rahab  had  been  warned  of  their  coming  and  hidden  them  on 
the  flat  roof  of  her  house,  under  the  stalks  of  flax  which  she 
was  drying  there,  to  make  into  linen  later  on. 

The  king’s  men  looked  for  the  two  men  of  Israel ;  when 
they  did  not  find  them  they  went  through  all  the  city  hunting 
for  them.  They  shut  the  gates  of  the  city. 

When  Rahab  knew  that  the  king’s  men  had  given  up  the 
search  for  the  two  Israelites  in  her  house,  she  went  to  them. 


329 


330 


JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 


She  told  them  that  she  had  heard  in  some  way  of  the  true 
God,  and  of  the  miracles  that  he  had  done  for  the  Israelites 
in  opening  up  a  passage  before  them  through  the  Red  Sea, 
and  in  other  ways.  She  believed  that  their  God  would  help 


r.T 


them  to  conquer  Jericho.  She  asked,  in  return  for  what  she 
had  done  for  them,  that  they  should  save  her  life  and  the 
lives  of  the  various  members  of  her  family,  when  they  en¬ 
tered  the  city. 

And  so  it  was  arranged.  She  was  to  mark  her  home  with 


JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 


331 


a  line  of  scarlet  thread  in  the  window.  She  and  all  her 
family  were  to  stay  in  the  house,  and  that  house  and  its 
people  would  be  safe  from  attack  when  the  Children  of 
Israel  entered  Jericho. 

Then  Rahab  let  the  two  men  down  over  the  wall  by  a  cord, 
through  one  of  the  windows  of  the  house.  Secretly  they 
slipped  off  into  the  mountains.  For  three  days  they  hid, 
until  the  men  from  Jericho,  who  were  pursuing  them,  gave 
up  the  search.  Then  they  crossed  over  the  Jordan  and  re¬ 
turned  in  safety  to  Joshua.  They  reported  to  him  their  suc¬ 
cess :  “Truly  Jehovah  hath  delivered  into  our  hands  all  the 
land  ;  and  moreover  all  the  inhabitants  of  the  land  do  melt 
away  before  us.” 


Handwork 

Build  a  house  on  the  wall  of  your  sand-table  model  of 
Jericho,  such  as  that  in  which  you  think  Rahab  may  have 
lived.  It  should  have  a  flat  roof,  and  a  window  over  the 
wall.  Put  upon  the  roof  some  grasses  which  will  represent 
the  flax  stalks,  and  put  a  scarlet  “  rope  ”  from  the  window 
over  the  wall. 


Notebook  Work 

Write  the  story  of  the  two  spies  in  your  own  words.  As  a 
decoration  make  a  drawing  of  the  house  on  the  wall.  Then 
find  in  the  New  Testament,  Acts  9:22-25,  a  story  of  another 
escape  over  a  wall  and  write  something  like  this,  filling  in 
the  blanks : 

From  Jericho,  two  spies  sent  out  by  Joshua  escaped  be¬ 
cause  Rahab  let  them  down  through  a  window  of  her  house 

which  was  built  on  the  wall.  From  - ,  - 

escaped  through  a  window  of  a  house  built  on  a  wall  because 
his - let  him  down  in  a - . 

Expressional  Activity 

Try  to  help  some  one  this  week,  who  needs  help  in  getting 
out  of  a  difficulty.  Perhaps  one  of  your  classmates  in  school 
needs  help  in  a  lessen  that  he  cannot  get,  and  you  can  show 
him  where  his  trouble  is.  Perhaps  you  can  direct  some  one 


332 


JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 


who  does  not  know  the  way  to  the  place  where  he  wants 
to  go.  There  are  many  ways  that  you  can  find  to  help 
others,  if  you  keep  your  eyes  open. 

Memory  Work 

If  you  do  not  already  know  the  names  of  the  first  five 
books  of  the  Bible,  from  which  most  of  our  lessons  this  year 
have  been  taken,  learn  them.  These  five  books  are  called 
“  The  Pentateuch,”  a  Greek  word  which  means  “  consisting 
of  five  books.”  The  five  books  are  also  called  “  The 
Law.”  They  are:  Genesis,  Exodus,  Leviticus,  Numbers, 
and  Deuteronomy. 


SUNDAY  SESSION 

THE  ISRAELITES  CROSSING  THE  JORDAN 

Joshua,  chapter  3 
The  Memory  Verse 

“  When  thou  passest  through  the  waters,  I  will  be  with 
thee  ;  and  through  the  rivers,  they  shall  not  overflow  thee.” — 
Isaiah  43  :2. 


The  Lesson  Story 

The  news  which  the  spies  brought  spread  through  the 
camp.  “  The  people  of  Jericho  have  heard  about  us,”  it  was 
whispered.  “  There  is  no  more  spirit  among  them,  because 
they  have  heard  of  the  things  that  God  has  done  for  us. 
They  are  afraid.”  The  people  were  ready  now  to  believe  the 
good  report  of  the  two  brave  spies,  as  they  had  not  been 
ready  to  believe  the  good  report  of  Caleb  and  Joshua,  thirty- 
eight  years  before.  They  were  ready  to  do  exactly  as  God 
commanded  them  to  do. 

And  it  must  have  required  a  great  deal  of  faith  and  trust 
to  do  this.  There  lay  the  Jordan  River  before  them — a 
rushing,  mighty  stream,  perhaps  a  mile  wide,  and  of  great 
depth.  This  was  the  month  of  Nisan,  or  Abib,  which  cor¬ 
responds  with  our  April,  the  first  month  of  the  Jewish  year, 
and  in  that  month  the  snows  in  the  mountains  melted,  and 


JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 


333 


the  little  streams  and  brooks,  rushing  down  the  slopes  in 
torrents,  filled  the  Jordan  bed  to  overflowing,  so  that,  instead 
of  being  a  narrow  stream  thirty  feet  across,  which  could  be 
waded,  it  became  in  the  spring  flood  a  wide  river,  very  diffi¬ 
cult  to  cross.  Look  at  the  picture  and  you  will  see  something 
of  the  way  in  which  the  Jordan  is  situated.  The  width  of 
the  stream  at  most  times  of  the  year  was  from  thirty  feet  to 
ninety  feet,  opposite  Jericho  being  usually  the  smaller  figure. 
The  figures  “  300  feet  to  Jd  mile,”  indicate  the  width  of  the 
river  at  the  time  of  the  spring  flood,  when  these  banks  were 
overflowed.  The  situation  of  the  mountains,  the  camp  of 
the  Israelites,  and  of  Jericho,  is  shown  in  a  way  that  you  can 
understand. 

It  seemed  as  if  the  Children  of  Israel  were  about  to  at¬ 
tempt  an  impossible  thing.  But  their  faith  and  trust  in  God 


were  complete.  They  were  ready  now  to  do  what  he  com¬ 
manded  them  to  do,  through  Joshua,  the  leader  whom  he  had 
appointed. 

Early  in  the  morning,  Joshua  summoned  the  people.  They 
went  out  from  the  camp  at  Shittim,  down  to  the  bank  of  the 
river.  For  three  days  they  remained  there.  Then  officers 
went  through  the  camp. 

“  When  ye  see  the  ark  of  the  covenant  of  Jehovah  your 
God,  and  the  priests  the  Levites  bearing  it,”  they  said,  “  then 
ye  shall  remove  from  your  place,  and  go  after  it.” 

The  officers  gave  further  commands.  The  people  were  to 
remain  two  thousand  cubits  (three  thousand  feet)  behind  the 
Ark,  but  they  were  to  follow  it.  They  were  to  sanctify 
themselves,  sc  as  to  be  ready  for  that  which  was  to  happen 
to  them. 

Then,  when  everything  was  ready,  God  spoke  to  Joshua. 


334 


UNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 


Once  more  he  encouraged  his  brave  follower,  and  gave  him 
a  wonderful  promise :  “  This  day  will  I  begin  to  magnify  thee 
in  the  sight  of  all  Israel,  that  they  may  know  that,  as  I  was 
with  Moses,  so  I  will  be  with  thee.”  Then  God  told  Joshua 
exactly  what  to  do,  and  Joshua  passed  on  the  word  to  the 
people. 

Don’t  you  think  that  it  required  faith  in  God  for  the 
priests  to  do  as  Joshua  told  them  to  do?  Don’t  you  think 
that  it  required  faith  for  the  people  to  follow  them  ?  But  they 
did !  The  priests  took  up  the  Ark.  They  went  down  to  the 
edge  of  the  river.  They  stepped  into  the  water.  And  as  the 
people,  over  half  a  mile  away,  watched,  a  miracle  happened, 
as  great  as  the  miracle  at  the  Red  Sea,  for  the  waters  of  the 
Jordan  piled  up,  up,  up,  in  a  great  heap,  far  up  the  stream  at 
Adam,  a  place  perhaps  eighteen  miles  away,  while  the  waters 
below  flowed  silently  on,  down  to  the  Dead  Sea.  And  in¬ 
stead  of  the  rushing,  yellow  Jordan,  there  was  dry  land  for 
the  people  to  pass  over.  The  priests  stood  in  the  middle  of 
the  river  bed,  bearing  the  Ark,  and  the  people  crossed  over, 
with  their  wives,  their  children,  their  animals,  their  equip¬ 
ment.  Soon  all  were  safe  on  the  other  side.  The  nation  of 
Israel,  because  of  its  trust  in  God,  had  at  last  come  into  the 
Promised  Land ! 

Putting  the:  Lesson  Into  the:  Lite  of  the:  Cuass 

If  we  trust  in  God  and  obey  his  commands,  many  of  our 
difficulties  will  vanish. 

Sometimes  we  think  that  there  are  difficulties  in  our  way 
when  we  are  trying  to  do  God’s  will.  To  the  Israelites  the 
waters  of  the  Jordan  at  flood  tide  seemed  a  great  barrier. 
But  they  did  as  God  commanded,  and  when  it  was  time  for 
them  to  meet  the  difficulty,  God  had  removed  it.  He  will 
help  us  in  a  similar  way. 

God  cares  in  very  wonderful  ways  for  those  who  do  just 
exactly  as  he  commands. 

Thf  Lksson  Truth  in  Your  Liff 

I  will  trust  in  God  and  try  to  do  those  things  that  he  wants 
me  to  do,  even  although  this  seems  hard. 


JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 


335 


A  View  of  Jericho 

It  is  the  morning  time,  and  the  sun  has  mounted  not  very 
far  above  the  eastern  horizon.  The  prevailing  tints  of  the 
sky  are  blue  blended  with  amber.  The  mountain  range  of 
Moab  is  in  shadow,  and  stands  up  in  violet  gray  against  the 
sky.  At  its  foot  is  the  northern  end  of  the  Dead  Sea,  catch¬ 
ing  the  sunlight  and  glistening  in  a  silver  sheet.  On  this 
side  of  the  salt  water  is  a  long  strip  of  desert  land  with 
reddish  hues.  Then  comes  the  broad  belt  of  sylvan  verdure, 
which  girdles  Jericho  as  with  a  zone  of  emeralds.  In  front 
of  this,  and  near  to  the  foreground,  though  still  much  below 
the  eye,  are  the  fountain  reservoirs,  the  chief  of  which  is  a 
small  sheet  of  water  in  which  the  sky  is  mirrored.  From 
these  the  principal  water  channels  are  seen  wandering  in 
bright  streaks  among  the  overshadowing  woods. — Sir  Rich¬ 
ard  Tempee. 


EXPRESSIONAL  SESSION 

HOW  OUR  NATION  SHOWS  ITS  TRUST  IN  GOD 
Psalm  33:12;  Proverbs  14:34;  Joshua  24:14,  15 

Suggestions  for  the  Leader’s  Opening  Address 

During  the  forty  years’  wandering  in  the  wilderness,  the 
people  of  Israel  had  learned  the  lesson  of  trust  in  God. 
They  went  down  to  the  Jordan  with  absolute  faith  that  God 
would  open  a  way  before  them  to  cross  it.  They  had  abso¬ 
lute  faith  that  God  would  do  as  he  had  promised.  These 
men  and  women  who  crossed  the  broad  Atlantic  Ocean  to 
settle  a  new  land  and  to  found  a  new  nation  in  America  had 
absolute  faith  in  God,  too.  The  Pilgrim  Fathers,  the  Puri¬ 
tans,  the  Quakers,  the  Huguenots,  all  came  to  our  land  in 
order  to  find  a  home  where  they  might  worship  God  in  the 
way  that  seemed  right  to  them,  trusting  that  God  would  help 
those  who  depended  on  him.  Our  country  was  settled  by 
those  who  trusted  God.  When  we  became  an  independent 
country,  those  who  fought  for  liberty  and  conscience  trusted 
in  God.  Our  nation  is  founded  on  faith  and  trust  in  him. 
And  it  will  prosper  only  as  it  believes  in  him  and  trusts 


336 


JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 


him.  Only  as  individual  men  and  women  and  boys  and  girls 
believe  in  him  and  in  his  promises  will  our  nation  be  blessed. 
Let  us  ask  God  that  we  may  do  our  share  in  making  the 
nation  his  nation. 

The  Class  Prayer 

Our  Father  in  heaven,  we  want  our  country,  which  we 
love  so  much,  to  be  a  God-fearing,  God-trusting  nation. 
Teach  us  that  the  nation  will  be  full  of  faith  and  trust  in 
thee  only  as  the  people  in  it  are  full  of  faith  and  trust 
in  thee.  Help  us,  ourselves,  to  believe  in  thy  promise  and  to 
do  as  thou  wouldest  have  us  do.  So  shall  we  help  our  nation. 
In  Jesus’  name  we  ask.  Amen. 

Verses  for  Use  in  the  Meeting 

1  Peter  2:9,  10;  Psalm  147:20;  67:3;  79:13;  1:1;  84:5; 
89:15. 


Hymns  that  May  Be  Used  in  Connection 
with  the  Meeting 

“  God  of  Our  Fathers  by  Whose  Hand.” 

“  God  of  Our  Fathers,  Bless  This  Land.” 

“  Our  Father’s  God,  to  Thee  We  Raise.” 

“  God  of  Our  Father,  Whose  Almighty  Hand.” 

“  O  Lord  Our  God,  Thy  Mighty  Hand.” 

Questions  for  Use  in  the  Meeting 

1.  On  almost  all  our  coins — pennies,  dimes,  quarters,  half 
dollars,  dollars — we  find  a  motto.  What  is  this  motto? 
What  does  it  show  about  our  nation  ? 

2.  How  can  a  Junior  citizen  of  the  United  States  help 
the  nation  to  be  a  Christian  nation? 

3.  How  can  I  show  that  I  am  a  Christian  Junior? 

4.  Tell  some  ways  in  which  our  land  shows  that  it  is  a 
Christian  land. 

5.  Tell  some  ways  in  which  the  United  States  differs 
from  Turkey. 

6.  Is  there  any  difference  in  the  way  in  which  children 


JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 


337 


are  treated  in  our  country  and  in  China  or  in  Japan?  Tell 
;  about  some  of  these. 


Topics  for  Discussion  or  Reports 

1.  The  Settlement  of  America. 

2.  How  Those  Who  Founded  Our  Nation  Trusted  God. 

3.  The  Duties  of  a  Citizen. 

4.  Junior  Citizens. 

5.  Is  Our  Nation  Becoming  More  or  Less  Christian? 

6.  How  Juniors  Can  Help  to  Make  It  More  Christian. 

To  Read  in  the  Meeting 

On  some  of  the  coins  of  the  LTnited  States  we  read  the 
words,  “  In  God  we  trust.”  And  we  have  this  motto  because 
the  men  who  founded  our  nation  trusted  in  God’s  promise. 
Blessed  is  the  nation  whose  God  is  Jehovah.” 

Our  nation  will  remain  a  nation  that  trusts  in  God  only 
as  its  people — you,  and  you,  and  you — in  the  Junior  Depart¬ 
ments  of  the  Sunday  schools  of  the  land,  trust  in  him.  Will 
you  do  your  part  to  make  the  nation  Christian  ? 

The  breaking  waves  dashed  high, 

On  a  stern  and  rock-bound  coast, 

And  the  woods  against  a  stormy  sky 
Their  giant  branches  tossed; 

And  the  heavy  night  hung  dark, 

The  hills  and  waters  o’er, 

Then  a  band  of  exiles  moved  their  bark 
On  the  wild  New  England  shore. 

Not  as  a  conqueror  comes, 

They,  the  true-hearted  came ; 

Not  with  the  roll  of  the  stirring  drums, 

And  the  trumpet  that  sings  of  fame; 


Not  as  the  flying  come, 

In  silence  and  in  fear ; 

They  shook  the  depths  of  the  desert  gloom 
With  their  hymns  of  lofty  cheer. 


338 


JUNIOR  CIIL'RCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 


Amidst  the  storm  they  sang, 

And  the  stars  heard,  and  the  sea; 

And  the  winding  aisles  of  the  dim  words  rang 
To  the  anthem  of  the  free. 


What  might  they  thus  afar? 

Bright  jewels  of  the  mine? 

The  wealth  of  seas,  the  spoils  of  war? 

They  sought  a  faith’s  pure  shrine! 

Ay,  call  it  holy  ground. 

The  soil  where  first  they  trod; 

They  have  left  unstained  what  there  they  found — 
Freedom  to  worship  God. 

—Felicia  Hemans. 


CHAPTER  XXXIV 

WEEK  DAY  SESSION 

IN  THE  PROMISED  LAND 
Joshua,  chapter  4;  5:10-15 

The  Memory  Verses 

“  When  Israel  went  forth  out  of  Egypt, 

The  house  of  Jacob  from  a  people  of  strange  language; 

Judah  became  his  sanctuary, 

Israel  his  dominion. 

The  sea  saw  it,  and  fled ; 

The  Jordan  was  driven  back/' — Psalm  114:1-3. 

The  Lesson  Story 

The  Children  of  Israel  were  in  the  land  which  God  had 
promised  them !  They  had  passed  over  the  dry  bed  of  the 
Jordan,  to  the  country  which  was  to  be  their  possession  for 
hundreds  of  years.  The  priests  who  carried  the  Ark  of  the 
Covenant  still  stood  in  the  midst  of  the  river  bed.  They 
were  waiting  for  Joshua  to  tell  them  to  come  to  the  shore. 

But  Toshua,  at  God’s  direction,  gave  another  command 
first.  He  selected  twelve  men,  one  from  each  of  the  tribes. 
He  told  these  men  to  go  down  into  the  river  bed  and  select 
twelve  stones.  They  were  to  put  these  stones  on  their 
shoulders  and  to  carry  them  to  the  place  where  they  were 
to  camp  that  night.  The  stones  were  to  be  a  memorial,  which 
would  remind  the  people  of  Israel  how  God  had  saved  them 
at  the  river  Jordan.  Joshua  also  commanded  that  there 
should  be  twelve  stones  set  up  in  the  midst  of  the  Jordan, 
where  the  priests  who  bore  the  Ark  had  stood,  while  the 
people  crossed  over  the  bed  of  the  river. 

All  these  things  were  done  as  God  commanded.  Then 
Joshua  told  the  priests  to  come  up  out  of  the  river  bed. 
They  moved  forward :  they  stepped  up  on  the  bank  of  the 


339 


340 


JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 


JUNIOR  CHURCII  SCHOOL  LESSONS 


341 


river.  And  then  the  people  saw  a  wonderful  sight.  The 
waters  of  the  river  were  loosed  again.  They  came  back  into 
their  place.  Once  more  the  Jordan  was  a  rushing,  yellow 
stream,  as  it  had  been  a  few  hours  before.  But  God’s  people 
were  safe  on  the  western  side  of  the  stream.  Not  one  of 
them  was  harmed. 

That  night,  the  tenth  of  the  first  month,  Nisan,  or  Abib, 
they  encamped  at  Gilgal.  The  people  of  the  land  were  so 
amazed  at  what  had  happened  that  they  did  not  oppose  the 
Israelites.  For  four  days  they  remained  in  camp,  and  on  the 
fourteenth  day  of  the  month  they  celebrated  the  passover — 
the  second  time  that  they  had  held  it  since  they  left  Egypt. 
And  the  day  after  the  passover  they  ate  the  grain  of  the 
land.  From  that  time  on,  God  ceased  to  send  manna.  The 
people  were  in  the  Promised  Land.  They  could  provide  food 
for  themselves.  God  had  sent  them  food  and  water  during 
the  forty  years  of  wandering  in  the  wilderness.  He  had 
opened  the  way  before  them  in  a  marvelous  fashion.  He 
was  going  to  do  wonderful  things  for  them  in  the  future, 
for  they  were  his  people  and  he  was  their  God,  but  after 
this  they  were  to  provide  food  and  drink  for  themselves  from 
the  fruit  and  grain  of  the  land  which  he  had  given  them. 

Once  more  God  gave  to  Joshua  a  proof  of  his  watchful 
care  over  him  and  the  people  of  Israel,  for  as  Joshua  looked 
toward  Jericho,  a  man  stood  by  him,  with  a  drawn  sword  in 
his  hand.  Joshua  proved  his  courage.  Fie  went  to  the  man 
and  asked  if  he  were  for  the  Israelites  or  for  their  enemies. 
The  man  spoke.  “  I  am  the  captain  of  the  host  of  Jehovah,” 
he  said.  And  then  he  gave  to  God’s  brave  follower  further 
commands  about  what  he  should  do. 

So,  with  courage  high,  knowing  that  God  himself  was  their 
Leader  and  Guide,  the  Israelites  began  their  conquest  of  the 
land  which  God  had  promised  them. 

Handwork 

Picture  on  the  sand  table  the  crossing  of  the  Jordan.  Put 
a  pile  of  twelve  pebbles  to  represent  the  stones  in  the  river 
bed  where  the  priests  stood,  and  another  pile  of  twelve  peb¬ 
bles  on  the  shore  at  Grlgal.  Make  your  model  of  the  river 
bed  like  the  picture  on  page  333. 


342 


JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 


Notebook  Work 

Write  Ihe  story  of  the  lesson  in  your  own  words,  in  your 
notebook. 


Expressional  Activity 

During  the  week  look  over  the  dramatization  given  for  the 
Sunday  Session,  and  be  prepared  to  do  your  part  in  it. 

Memory  Work 

Learn  the  remaining  words  of  Psalm  114,  which  speaks  of 
the  miracle  at  the  Red  Sea  and  at  the  Jordan. 


SUNDAY  SESSION 

THE  SIEGE  OF  JERICHO 
Joshua,  chapter  6 
Tiie  Memory  Verse 

“  Wherefore  take  up  the  whole  armor  of  God,  that  ye  may 
be  able  to  withstand  in  the  evil  day,  and  having  done  all, 
to  stand.” — Ephesians  6:13. 

The  Lesson  Story 

THE  FALL  OF  JERICHO 
(An  exercise  to  use  for  this  lesson.) 

Scene  I 

Peace.  Inside  the  city  of  Jericho.  Two  of  the  citizens, 
Jabin  and  Jobab,  enter. 

Jabin.  What  meaneth  the  action  of  these  foreigners  in  our 
land?  What  is  this  strange  thing  that  they  are  doing? 
Jobab.  They  are  mad!  They  are  mad,  Neighbor  Jabin! 
For  six  days  now  they  have  marched  silently  around  the 
walls  of  our  city,  carrying  the  golden  box,  the  god  they 
worship. 


JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS  343 


344 


JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 


Jabin.  What  is  it  that  they  think  they  do,  I  wonder?  They 
have  many  men,  and  yet  they  make  no  attack.  Thinkest 
thou  that  our  army  should  go  out  and  smite  them  ? 
Thinkest  thou,  Jobab,  that  there  is  some  trick  in  this, 
which  our  ruler  does  not  understand? 

Jobab.  No,  no!  They  are  too  weak  to  do  us  any  harm! 
Our  city  walls  are  high ;  our  gates  are  strong.  There  is 
no  danger  here,  neighbor. 

Jabin.  And  yet  methinks  it  would  be  well  for  the  king  to 
question  Rahab.  For  six  days  now,  she  and  her  mother 
and  her  father  and  her  brothers  and  her  sisters  have 
kept  themselves  straitly  shut  up  in  their  house.  Mark 
you,  Jobab,  it  was  she  who  was  suspected  of  helping 
those  two  foreign  spies.  And  there  is  a  scarlet  cord 
hanging  from  her  window.  I  fear  that  there  is  some¬ 
thing  strange  to  come.  (Goes  off  shaking  his  head.) 

Scene:  II 

The  evening  of  the  same  day.  Outside  the  city  walls. 

Joshua  addresses  the  people  of  Israel. 

Joshua.  To-morrow  is  the  holy  Sabbath  Day,  and  Jehovah 
hath  commanded  us  to  march  around  the  city  as  we  have 
done  before.  But  instead  of  marching  around  the  city 
once,  we  must  march  seven  times.  Start  early  in  the 
morning,  all  ye  people  of  Israel.  The  Lord  will  do 
great  things  for  you.  First  shall  march  the  seven 
priests,  bearing  the  Ark  of  God,  each  carrying  a  trumpet 
made  of  a  ram’s  horn.  Then  shall  come  the  men  of 
war,  and  then  the  priests  bearing  the  Ark  of  God.  Last 
shall  come  the  people.  Seven  times  shall  ye  march 
around  the  city.  Do  as  I  command  you. 

Scene  III 

The  seventh  day.  Procession  passes  across  the  platform, 

people  in  the  order  given  by  Joshua,  silently.  At  the  seventh 

time,  the  priests  blow  their  trumpets. 

Joshua.  Shout,  ye  people,  shout,  for  the  Lord  hath  given 
you  the  city. 


JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 


345 


One  of  the  Procession  (pointing).  See!  See!  Our 
soldiers  advance  into  the  city !  The  walls  fall !  Our 
foes  are  terrified.  They  flee.  Truly  the  Lord  hath 
given  us  the  victory.  Our  enemies  are  conquered.  Only 
Rahab  and  her  family  are  spared.  We  have  been  vic¬ 
torious  in  the  name  of  the  Lord  Jehovah  our  God. 
Joshua.  Come  together,  O  ye  people  of  the  true  God. 
Once  more  have  we  conquered  in  his  name.  Sing  ye 
to  the  Lord,  for  he  hath  triumphed  gloriously.  The 
Lord  is  our  Strength  and  Song,  and  he  has  become  our 
Salvation.  He  shall  reign  forever  and  ever.  (Class 
sings  “  We  March,  We  March  to  Victory,”  at  the  con¬ 
clusion,  passing  from  the  stage.) 

Putting  the  Lesson  Into  the  Life  of  the  Class 

God  gives  the  victory  to  those  who  trust  in  him  to-day, 
just  as  he  gave  it  to  those  who  trusted  in  him  three  thousand 
years  ago. 

The  Bible  tells  us,  “  All  things  are  possible  to  him  that 
believeth.”  The  Israelites  found  this  to  be  true,  and  so 
shall  we. 

Did  you  ever  have  a  difficult  task  to  do>  that  seemed  im¬ 
possible  ?  Then  did  you  say  a  quick  prayer  and  go  ahead, 
trusting  in  God,  though  you  did  not  know  exactly  what  you 
should  do  next?  If  you  did,  you  were  like  the  Israelites. 

There  is  perhaps  a  boy  or  a  girl  in  your  class  with  whom 
it  seems  that  you  cannot  make  friends.  He  never  is  pleasant 
when  you  make  advances,  and  it  seems  that  he  doesn’t  want 
to  be  friendly.  What  should  you  do  in  such  a  case?  If  you 
are  always  kind  and  pleasant,  you  will  find  some  day  that 
you  have  conquered  his  unpleasantness.  Keep  on  trying, 
and  God  will  help  you  to  win  the  battle. 

Have  you  a  hard  lesson  to  do  ?  Don’t  give  up !  Go  over 
it  and  over  it  again — five  times,  six  times,  as  the  Israelites 
went  around  Jericho.  Perhaps  you  will  find,  the  seventh 
time,  that  you  have  won  the  victory  and  understand  the  hard 
problem  or  the  difficult  explanation. 

The  Lesson  Truth  in  Your  Life 

Wear  the  “  whole  armor  of  God,”  and  you  will  find  that 
God  will  help  you  in  your  battles. 


346 


JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 
A  Poem  to  Read  with  the  Lesson 

Around  the  walls  of  Jericho 
The  Israelitish  army  go. 

With  steady  tramp,  their  spears  in  hand, 

They  follow  out  the  Lord’s  command. 

Six  days,  six  journeys  now  are  past, 

The  sun  has  risen  upon  the  last. 

Thus  early  start  they  on  their  way; 

Seven  rounds  must  be  fulfilled  to-day. 

Within  the  walls  of  Jericho 
In  stern  indifference  wait  the  foe. 

What  care  they  for  these  haggard  men 
Who  have  commenced  their  march  again? 

Outside  the  walls  of  Jericho 
Steadily  on  the  warriors  go. 

Six  of  the  rounds  already  past, 

And  they  have  now  commenced  the  last. 

Throughout  these  ranks  no  sound  was  heard, 

No  merry  jest,  no  cheering  word. 

There  rises  up  no  other  sound 

Than  the  steady  footbeat  on  the  ground. 

Now  suddenly  they  turn  about, 

And  with  one  voice  the  people  shout. 

Down  fall  the  walls  of  Jericho, 

The  heathen’s  power  lieth  low. 

Low  lie  the  walls  of  Jericho 

And  through  her  halls  her  foemen  go. 

Thus  did  firm  faith  in  God's  commands 
Prove  weightier  than  human  hands. 

Thus  did  the  strong  right  arm  of  God 
Scatter  the  heathen  hosts  abroad. 

■ — Selected  from  “Jericho,”  a  poem  by  Frank  FoxcrorT. 


347 


JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 

EXPRESSION AL  SESSION 

GOD  GIVEN  VICTORY 
I  John  5  :4,  5 

Suggestions  for  the  Leader’s  Opening  Address 

God  gave  the  victory  over  Jericho  to  the  people  of  Israel. 
He  has  given  to  our  nation,  too,  many  victories  in  time  of 
war.  He  has  given  to  us  as  individuals  many  victories  over 
ourselves  and  over  difficulties  that  seemed  impossible  to  con¬ 
quer.  To  the  people  of  Jericho  it  probably  seemed  foolish 
for  the  Israelites  to  carry  the  Ark  of  the  Covenant  around 
the  walls  of  the  city  for  seven  days.  But  Joshua  and  the 
Israelites  knew  that  they  were  doing  as  God  had  commanded 
them  to  do.  Just  so  leaders  and  men  who  fight  in  any  cause 
which  they  know  is  just,  are  sure  that  God  will  give  to  them 
the  victory.  Washington,  as  he  praved  at  Valley  Forge, 
knew  that  God  was  with  him.  So  the  Crusaders  felt,  as 
they  went  out  to  fight  the  Turks  in  the  Holy  Land.  So  we 
should  feel  as  we  fight  with  the  Tempter  who  is  trying  to 
lead  us  into  sin.  Let  us  ask  God  to  send  us  the  victory  as  he 
sent  it  to  the  people  of  Israel.  Because  thev  trusted  in  him, 
and  did  as  he  commanded,  they  won  the  city  of  Jericho  by 
a  miracle  instead  of  by  a  battle. 


The  Class  Prayer 

Our  Father  in  heaven,  we  ask  thy  help  in  the  many  battles 
that  we  have  to  fight.  Particularly  we  ask  thy  help  in  fight¬ 
ing  with  the  temptation  that  is  within  ourselves.  Help  us  to 
trust  in  thee  and  to  do  thy  will,  as  the  people  of  Israel  did 
at  Jericho,  even  though  we  do  not  understand.  We  ask  this 
in  Jesus’  name.  Amen. 

Verses  for  Ltse  in  the  Meeting 

Matthew  4:4;  6:13;  II  Samuel  23:10,  12;  I  Chronicles 
29:11;  II  Chronicles  20:12,  17;  14:11,  12;  Psalm  98:1; 
Proverbs  21  :32  ;  Isaiah  43  :12  ;  I  Corinthians  15  :57. 


348  JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 

Hymns  that  May  Be  Used  in  Connection 
with  the  Meeting 

“  Onward,  Christian  Soldiers.” 

“  Forward!  Be  Our  Watchword.” 

“  Lead  On,  O  King  Eternal.” 

“  Fight  the  Good  Fight.” 

Questions  for  Use  in  the  Meeting 

1.  What  was  the  first  act  of  the  Israelites  in  the  Prom¬ 
ised  Land  ? 

2.  How  do  Christians  show  God  that  they  are  thankful 
for  what  he  has  done  for  them? 

3.  How  do  modern  missionaries  win  victories? 

4.  How  does  God  help  us  to  win  victories  over  ourselves  ? 

5.  Where  did  the  people  of  Jericho  put  their  trust?  the 
people  of  Israel?  Which  were  wiser? 

6.  Where  should  we  put  our  trust? 

Topics  for  Discussion  or  Reports 

1.  Coming  Into  the  Promised  Land. 

2.  The  Victory  Without  Weapons. 

3.  The  Way  the  People  of  Jericho  Felt. 

4.  Some  Victories  Which  God  Has  Given  in  Modern 
Times. 

5.  The  Great  Chinese  Wall.  How  Christians  Have  Made 
Their  Way  Past  It. 

6.  The  Victories  of  the  Modern  Missionary. 

7.  The  Victories  of  Peace. 

8.  Victories  Over  Difficulties. 

9.  Victories  Over  Self. 

To  Read  in  the  Meeting 

Jesus  in  the  wilderness  won  the  victory  over  the  Tempter. 
One  of  the  weapons  which  he  used  in  this  struggle  was  his 
knowledge  of  God’s  Word — the  sword  of  the  Spirit.  We, 
too,  can  use  the  Bible  as  a  weapon  in  our  struggles  with  the 
Tempter. 

The  Great  Chinese  Wall  is  higher  and  stronger  than  the 


JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 


349 


walls  of  Jericho,  and  yet  God’s  followers  are  winning  their 
way  past  it  by  peaceful  methods.  He  has  given  them  the 
victory. 

There  was  an  old  writer  named  John  Bunyan  who  lived 
in  the  seventeenth  century.  He  wrote  a  book  called  “  The 
Holy  War.”  In  it  there  is  a  city  called  “  Mansoul,” — the 
soul  of  man.  Around  this  city  are  thick  walls  of  selfishness, 
deceit,  lying,  aM  all  kinds  of  sin.  So  strong  is  the  wall  that 
it  seems  as  if  it  could  never  be  broken  down.  But  Jesus 
came,  as  the  Leader  of  the  forces  of  good.  He  caused  the 
walls  to  fall,  and  so  the  city  of  evil  became  the  city  of  God. 
So  the  forces  of  evil  are  fighting  for  your  heart.  God  will 
give  you  the  victory  if  you  trust  in  him. 


CHAPTER  XXXV 
WEEK  DAY  SESSION 

DEFEAT  AND  VICTORY  AT  AI 
J  oshua  7:1  to  8 :28 
The  Memory  Verses 

“  Stand  therefore,  having  girded  your  loins  with  truth, 
and  having  put  on  the  breastplate  of  righteousness,  and  hav¬ 
ing  shod  your  feet  with  the  preparation  of  the  gospel  of 
peace.” — Ephesians  6:14,  15. 

The  Lesson  Story 

Silently  one  of  the  men  of  Israel  stole  through  the  streets 
of  Jericho.  He  was  carrying  something  that  he  was  trying 
to  hide.  He  slipped  into  his  tent  and  there  he  buried  what 
he  had  carried — a  great  weight  of  silver  and  a  wedge  of 
gold,  and  an  embroidered  Babylonian  robe.  Secretly  he 
covered  them  over.  He  thought  that  no  one  knew  what  he 
had  done. 

Now  Joshua  had  told  the  Israelites  that  all  the  treasure 
of  Jericho  was  to  be  given  to  the  Lord.  They  were  to  keep 
none  of  the  spoil  for  themselves.  But  Achan  the  Zerahite, 
of  the  tribe  of  Judah,  had  disobeyed.  He  had  taken  some  of 
the  treasure  for  himself,  and  no  one  knew  it! 

Jericho  was  conquered.  Joshua  and  his  men  were  to  go 
farther  into  the  land  of  Canaan,  and  the  next  place  to  attack 
was  the  town  of  Ai,  near  Bethel.  It  was  not  a  large  place,  for 
it  had  only  twelve  thousand  inhabitants.  As  he  had  done  be¬ 
fore  Joshua  sent  out  spies  to  see  what  the  plans  of  the  city 
were.  They  came  back  in  fine  spirits.  They  felt  that  the 
city  could  be  taken  by  a  small  force  of  three  thousand  men. 
But — instead  of  victory,  there  was  defeat !  The  Israelites 
fled  before  the  men  of  Ai,  and  some  of  them  were  killed. 


350 


\ 

JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS  351 

I 

The  people  were  terrified !  It  seemed  that  God  was  no 
longer  with  them.  What  had  happened  ?  They  did  not  know. 
Joshua  did  the  wisest  thing.  He  asked  God  for  help.  He 


taken  of  the  things  which  were  devoted  to  my  service.  Find 
out  who  it  was  and  punish  the  offender/’ 

Early  in  the  morning  Joshua  called  the  people  together. 
He  told  them  what  had  happened.  Lots  were  cast,  as  was 
done  in  those  days,  to  decide  who  was  guilty  of  the  sin.  The 
tribe  of  Judah  was  “  taken,”  which  means  that  in  some  way 


352 


JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 


God  pointed  out  that  the  guilty  man  was  a  member  of  this 
tribe.  Then  lots  were  cast  among  the  families  of  Judah  and 
the  family  of  the  Zerahites  was  pointed  out.  And  then  at 
last,  the  lot  pointed  to  Achan !  And  of  course  he  confessed 
what  he  had  done.  He  told  where  he  had  hidden  the  treas¬ 
ure  and  Joshua  sent  messengers,  who  found  it. 

So  Achan  was  punished.  He  was  stoned  to  death  for  his 
sin,  and  a  great  heap  of  stones  was  placed  over  his  grave. 

But  the  people  of  Israel,  now  that  the  crime  against  God 
was  found  out  and  punished,  advanced  once  more  against 
the  city  of  Ai.  Because  they  had  obeyed  God,  this  time  they 
won  the  victory.  The  city  was  conquered  and  burned  to  the 
ground.  God  gave  the  victory  to  his  people  once  more,  be¬ 
cause  they  had  been  obedient  to  him. 

Handwork 

Make  a  poster  of  a  Canaanitish  city,  such  as  those  which 
the  Israelites  were  conquering  at  this  time.  Use  the  picture 
given  on  this  page  as  a  model  to  copy.  Make  the  stones  of 
the  walls  gray,  the  sky  blue,  and  the  trees  green.  Remember 
that  in  these  days  there  were  no  guns,  no  gun-powder,  and 
so  the  city  walls  were  not  so  strong  as  the  walls  of  cities  in 
later  times.  Nowadays,  with  the  great  guns  that  have  been 
invented,  walls  are  no  protection,  but  in  Joshua’s  day,  they 
served  to  protect  the  people  from  attack. 

Map  Work 

Put  in  your  notebook  map  of  Palestine  the  city  of  Ai.  It 
is  not  known  exactly  where  it  was,  but  it  was  not  far  from 
Bethel  where  Jacob  had  had  the  vision  of  the  ladder  to 
heaven. 


Notebook  Work 

Write  the  heading,  “  The  Second  Victory  of  the  Israelites 
in  the  Promised  Land.”  Then  tell  the  story  of  defeat  and 
of  victory. 


Expressionae  Activity 

John  was  selected  to  play  on  the  high-school  football  team. 


JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 


353 


He  was  a  big,  husky  boy,  but  soon  his  team  mates  discov¬ 
ered  that  he  had  a  bad  habit ;  he  smoked  cigarettes.  The 
coach  warned  him.  He  promised  not  to  smoke  again,  but 
he  did  not  keep  his  promise.  And  when  the  day  of  the  big 
game  came,  the  team  lost  because  John’s  breath  gave  out 
and  he  failed  in  making  the  long  run  that  would  have  won 
the  game. 

John’s  self-will  was  like  Achan’s  self-will.  Both  of  them 
did  wrong  and  so  injured  other  people.  Achan’s  sin  brought 
defeat  to  the  Israelites;  John’s  bad  habit  brought  defeat  to 
his  team.  Do  you  ever  realize  that  the  things  which  you  do 
will  affect  other  people?  Stop  this  week,  when  you  are 
about  to  be  selfish,  or  self-willed,  or  self-indulgent,  and  think 
whether  or  not  other  people  will  be  harmed  by  what  you  are 
doing. 


Memory  Work 

The  Jewish  year  was  divided  into  twelve  months,  as  our 
year  is.  But  instead  of  beginning  in  January,  as  our  year 
does,  it  began  in  April,  the  month  of  the  passover,  which 
was  called  Abib  or  Nisan.  Below  you  will  find  the  names  of 
the  months  of  the  Jewish  year.  Learn  the  names  of  the  first 
six  of  these  and  with  what  they  correspond  in  our  year. 


The  Jewish  Year 


Month. 

Approxi¬ 

mation. 

Season. 

1.  Abib  or  Nisan 

April. 

Latter  or  spring  rains. 

Flax  harvest  at  Jericho  (Josh. 
2:6). 

Jordan  at  flood  (Josh.  3:15;  1  Chron. 
12:15). 

Barley  harvest  in  the  maritime  plain. 
Wheat  ripe  in  hot  Jordan  valley. 
Pods  on  the  carob  tree. 

Dry  season  begins,  continuing  to 
early  October,  with  prevailing 
wind  from  the  northwest. 

2.  Ziv  or  Iyar. 

May. 

Barley  harvest  in  uplands. 

Wheat  harvest  in  lowlands. 

354  JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 


The  Jewish  Year. — Continued. 


Month.  J 

Approxi¬ 

mation. 

Season. 

3.  Sivan. 

June. 

Apples  on  sea  coast. 

Early  figs  general. 

Oleander  in  bloom. 

Almonds  ripe. 

Intense  heat. 

4.  Tammuz. 

July. 

Wheat  harvest  in  high  mountains. 
First  grapes  ripe. 

5.  Ab. 

August. 

Olives  in  lowlands. 

Dates  and  summer  figs. 

G.  Elul. 

September. 

Vintage  general. 

7.  Ethanim  or 

October. 

Tishri. 

Pomegranates  ripe. 

Season  changing  to  the  winter  or 
rainy  season,  with  prevailing  wind 
from  west  and  southwest. 

Former  or  early  rains. 

Pistachio  nuts  ripe. 

Plowing. 

8.  Bui  or  Mar- 

November. 

Barley  and  wheat  sown. 

cheshvan. 

Olives  gathered  in  northern  Galilee. 
Winter  figs  on  trees. 

9.  Chislev. 

December. 

Rainfall  increases  (compare  Ezra  10:9, 
13). 

10.  Tebeth. 

January. 

Hail;  snow  on  higher  hills  and  occa¬ 
sionally  at  Jerusalem. 

In  lowlands  grain  fields  and  pas¬ 
tures  green,  wild  flowers  abun¬ 
dant. 

11.  Shebat. 

February. 

Almond  trees  in  blossom 
Appearance  of  young  fruit,  or 
rather  blossom,  of  the  fig. 

Carob  tree  in  blossom. 

12.  Adar. 

March. 

Oranges  and  lemons  ripe  in  the 
lowlands.  Storax  blossoming 

and  pomegranates  showing  their 
first  flowers. 

Barley  harvest  at  Jericho. 

— Adapted  from  Davis'  Dictionary  of  the  Bible. 


JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS  355 

SUNDAY  SESSION 

THE  PUNISHMENT  OF  THE  GIBEONITES 

Joshua,  chapter  9 
The:  Memory  Verse 

“  Withal  taking  up  the  shield  of  faith,  wherewith  ye  shall 
be  able  to  quench  all  the  fiery  darts  of  the  evil  one.” — Eph¬ 
esians  6:16.  Review  verses  13-15. 

The  Lesson  Story 

The  news  of  the  victory  of  the  Israelites  over  the  cities  of 
Jericho  and  Ai  spread  among  all  the  peoples  of  Canaan,  and 
many  cities  joined  together  to  fight  against  them. 

But  the  inhabitants  of  one  city  decided  not  to  fight.  These 
people  were  the  Gibeonites — the  people  of  Gibeon,  a  city  not 
very  far  from  Jericho  and  of  several  other  smaller  places. 
These  men  decided  to  deceive  Joshua.  They  sent  to  the 
camp  of  the  Israelites  as  ambassadors  men  dressed  in  old 
garments,  with  old,  patched  shoes.  They  took  with  them, 
on  the  backs  of  their  asses,  old  sacks,  which  looked  worn  out, 
and  as  food  they  carried  stale  bread.  All  this  was  to  prove 
that  they  had  come  from  a  long  distance,  instead  of  from  a 
place  near  by. 

“  We  have  come  from  a  far  country,”  they  said  as  they 
entered  the  camp.  “  We  want  to  make  a  covenant  of  peace 
with  you.” 

“  Who  are  you,  and  from  what  place  do  you  come  ?  ”  asked 
Joshua. 

“  From  a  far  country,”  they  repeated.  “  In  our  land  we 
have  heard  of  all  the  wonderful  things  that  your  God  has 
done  for  you  in  Egypt.  Our  elders  sent  us  to  make  peace 
with  you,  and  to  say  that  we  are  your  servants.”  You  see. 
they  pretended  to  live  so  far  away  that  they  had  not  heard 
of  the  later  victories  which  God  had  given  to  his  people ! 

The  Israelites  believed  the  story.  They  forgot  to  ask  God 
for  counsel.  They  took  presents  from  the  Gibeonites  !  They 
made  a  covenant  or  promise  not  to  destroy  their  cities, 
though  God  had  commanded  them  to  destroy  all  the  inhabi¬ 
tants  of  the  land. 


356 


JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 


But  it  was  only  three  days  afterwards  that  the  Israelites 
found  out  their  mistake.  They  came  to  the  towns  of  the 
Gibeonites,  and  the  people  of  these  places  demanded  safety, 
because  the  Israelites  had  promised  it !  How  sorry  the  people 
and  their  leaders  were  then  that  they  had  forgotten  to  ask 
God’s  counsel.  Now  they  must  leave  an  enemy  behind  them, 
when  they  went  farther  into  the  land.  But  they  kept  their 
word.  They  did  not  destroy  these  Gibeonites  as  they  had 
destroyed  other  places. 

But  the  Gibeonites  had  to  be  punished  in  some  way  for 
their  trickery.  The  leaders  of  Israel  decided  that  they  should 
always  after  that  he  “  hewers  of  wood  and  drawers  of 
water  ”  for  the  Israelites. 

And  this  was  done.  The  people  of  Israel  spared  their 
lives,  and  so  kept  their  promise,  but  the  Gibeonites  were 
punished,  because  they  had  tried  to  win  safety  by  a  trick. 
They  learned  a  lesson  which  many  others  have  learned  since 
— that  success  won  by  a  trick  is  never  true  success. 

Putting  tiie  Lesson  Into  the  Life  of  the  Class 

The  people  of  Israel  forgot  to  ask  God’s  counsel  when 
they  made  a  covenant  with  the  Gibeonites.  Do  you  ask 
God’s  advice  and  help  every  morning  and  evening? 

The  people  of  Israel  had  made  a  promise,  and  they  kept 
it  even  though  it  had  been  made  because  they  were  deceived. 
Do  you  keep  promises  which  you  have  made,  but  find  after¬ 
wards  that  it  will  be  hard  for  you  to  keep?  Are  you  always 
careful  about  the  promises  that  you  make?  That  is  the  way 
to  keep  out  of  difficulties.  Do  not  make  promises  rashly. 
Then  you  will  not  be  sorry  when  you  have  to  keep  your 
word. 

The  Lesson  Truth  in  Your  Life 

Be  careful  in  making  and  keeping  promises.  Be  careful 
not  to  promise  what  you  cannot  perform.  But  when  you 
have  made  a  promise,  stick  to  your  word. 

Gibeon 

Six  or  seven  miles  south  of  Bethel,  and  about  five  north¬ 
west  of  Jerusalem,  stood  the  city  of  Gibeon.  .  .  .  Gibeon, 


JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 


357 


identified  with  the  modern  village  El- Jib,  is  placed  on  an 
oblong  ridge  composed  of  limestone  rock,  rising,  as  it  were, 
in  steps  out  of  the  plain,  in  many  places  difficult  of  access, 
and  capable  of  being  everywhere  very  strongly  fortified.  Its 
position  on  the  great  highway  from  the  seaboard  into  the  in¬ 
terior,  and  commanding  the  chief  pass  over  the  mountain, 
has  tended  to  maintain  its  existence  and  celebrity  unto  the 
present  day.  Immediately  in  front  stretched  a  tract  of  fertile 
ground,  producing  not  only  abundant  crops  of  grain,  but 
likewise  olives,  grapes,  figs,  and  other  fruits.  At  this  time 
it  was  a  place  of  vast  importance;  it  is  described  as  ‘  a  great 
city,  as  one  of  the  royal  cities,  greater  than  Ai,  and  all  the 
men  thereof  were  mighty/  It  was,  in  fact,  the  chief  of 
four  confederate  cities  occupied  by  Hivites,  who  were  not 
governed  by  a  king,  but  formed  a  kind  of  republic  under 
certain  elected  elders. — Joshua,  His  Life  and  Times,  by 
Deane. 


EXPRESSIONAL  SESSION 

THE  FOOLISHNESS  OF  DECEIT 
Proverbs  12:12-22 

Suggestions  for  the  Leader’s  Opening  Address 

The  Gibeonites  thought  that  they  were  very  wise  when 
they  deceived  the  Israelites.  But  instead,  they  were  very 
foolish.  They  saved  their  lives,  to  be  sure,  but  always  they 
were  the  lowest  class  in  the  nation,  hewers  of  wood  and 
drawers  of  water  for  the  people  of  Israel.  Always  their 
name  has  stood  for  cowardice  and  lies.  Sometimes  we 
people  of  to-day  think  as  the  Gibeonites  thought.  Some¬ 
times  we,  too,  think  that  it  would  pay  to  cheat  in  a  test  in 
school ;  to  lie  one’s  way  out  of  a  difficulty ;  to  boast  and  ex¬ 
aggerate  about  how  many  things  we  can  do,  or  how  many 
things  we  have.  But  the  person  who  lies  loses  his  own  self- 
respect  ;  he  loses  the  respect  of  his  neighbor.  He  never 
gains  anything  worth  having  in  the  end.  “  Lying  lips  are 
an  abomination  to  Jehovah,”  the  Bible  tells  us  ;  and  “  a  lying 
tongue  is  but  for  a  moment.”  Let  us  ask  God  to  help  us  to 


358  JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 

gird  our  loins  with  truth,  as  our  Memory  Verses  have  told 
us  to  do. 


The  Class  Prayer 

Our  Father  in  heaven,  show  us  how  to  keep  our  lips  from 
lying,  our  actions  from  being  deceitful,  our  hearts  true. 
Help  us  always  to  see  the  truth  and  to  live  and  speak  it. 
We  ask  in  the  name  of  Jesus  who  said,  “  I  am  the  way.  and 
the  truth,  and  the  life,”  for  we  wish  to  follow  him  in  every¬ 
thing.  Amen. 

Verses  for  Use  in  the  Meeting 

Isaiah  28:15-17;  Jeremiah  9:3-5;  Ephesians  4:25;  Zech- 
ariah  8:16;  Proverbs  13:5;  Psalms  34:13;  119:29;  120:2; 
I  Peter  3:10;  James  3  :5,  6. 

Hymns  that  May  Be  Used  in  Connection 
with  the  Meeting 

“  Dare  to  Be  Brave,  Dare  to  Be  True.” 

“  My  Soul  Be  on  Thy  Guard.” 

“  t  t To  O  Father  ” 

“  O  Thou  Whose  Feet  Have  Climbed  Life’s  Hill.” 

“  Courage,  Brother,  Do  Not  Stumble.” 

“  Send  Down  Thy  Truth,  O  God.” 

Questions  for  Use  in  the  Meeting 

1.  How  did  Achan  try  to  deceive  Joshua? 

2.  How  did  his  plan  succeed? 

3.  Were  the  Gibeonites  wise  or  foolish  in  lying  to  deceive 
Joshua  ? 

4.  How  did  their  plan  succeed? 

5.  What  was  wrong  with  the  Israelites’  action  in  these 

cases?  Joshua  7:11,  12;  9:14. 

6.  Does  it  ever  pay  to  try  to  get  an  advantage  by  cheat¬ 
ing?  Give  your  reason  for  the  answer. 

7.  Does  it  pay  to  cheat  in  an  examination  ?  Why  ? 

8.  Does  it  pay  to  lie  if  you  have  been  tempted  to  sin  and 

have  yielded?  Why? 


JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS  359 

Topics  for  Discussion  or  Reports 

1.  Achan’s  Sin. 

2.  The  Sin  of  the  Gibeonites. 

3.  Lying  Oneself  Out  of  Difficulties. 

4.  Does  Cheating  in  Examination  Ever  Pay? 

5.  The  Foolishness  of  Trying  to  Deceive  Others. 

6.  Truth-Telling  and  Self-Respect. 

To  Read  in  the  Meeting 

“Help  me,  0  God,  to  speak 

True  words  to  thee  each  day; 

True  let  my  voice  be  when  I  praise, 

And  trustful  when  I  pray. 

“  Thy  words  are  true  to  me, 

Let  mine  to  thee  be  true ; 

The  speech  of  my  whole  heart  and  soul, 

However  low  and  few.” 

“  An  honest  man  is  the  noblest  work  of  God.” 

“  The  world  needs  honest  boys  and  girls  to  grow  up  to  be 
trustworthy  men  and  women  who  do  the  world’s  work.” 

“  A  trustworthy  child,  whose  word  can  be  depended  on,  . 
will  tell  things  just  as  they  are.  He  does  not  change  them 
to  help  his  own  case  when  he  is  wrong.” 

Dare  to  be  true ; 

Nothing  can  need  a  lie. 

The  fault  that  needs  one  most 
Grows  two  thereby. 


— George  Herbert. 


CHAPTER  XXXVI 

WEEK  DAY  SESSION 

JOSHUA’S  BATTLE  AGAINST  FIVE  KINGS 
Joshua  10:1  to  11:9,  23 

The  Memory  Verse 

“  And  take  the  helmet  of  salvation,  and  the  sword  of  the 
Spirit,  which  is  the  word  of  God.” — Ephesians  6:17. 

The  Lesson  Story 

When  Joshua  and  the  people  of  Israel  went  into  the  land 
of  Canaan,  it  was  divided  into  small,  independent  kingdoms ; 
each  one  of  these  would  have  to  be  conquered  before  the 
people  of  God  could  have  complete  control  over  the  Prom¬ 
ised  Land.  Five  of  these  kings,  under  the  leadership  of  the 
king  of  Jerusalem,  joined  together  to  fight  against  Joshua 
and  his  followers.  Their  first  step  was  to  attack  the  city  of 
Gibeon,  which  they  felt  had  been  a  traitor  to  their  cause. 

The  Gibeonites  were  terrified.  Quickly  they  sent  messen¬ 
gers  to  Joshua,  who  had  withdrawn  with  his  forces  to  Gilgal. 
They  asked  for  help  against  the  attack  of  the  five  kings. 

Joshua  saw  that  he  must  go  to  their  assistance.  The  Lord 
spoke  to  him  once  more,  and  told  him  not  to  fear,  but  to  go 
forward  bravely;  he  should  conquer  the  enemy. 

You  remember  that  before,  when  Joshua  had  gone  with 
the  men  of  Israel  from  Gilgal  to  Gibeon,  it  had  taken  three 
days.  Joshua  9:16.  But  now,  by  a  forced  march  of  one 
night,  they  reached  the  attacked  city  and  surprised  the  be¬ 
siegers.  It  was  very  early  in  the  morning  when  they  came 
upon  the  foe,  encamped  near  Gibeon.  At  the  west  lay  the 
high  hill,  at  whose  foot  Gibeon  lay.  At  the  top  of  this  hill 
was  the  little  village  of  Upper  Beth-horon ;  on  the  other  side 
was  Lower  Beth-horon. 

The  Israelites  advanced  on  the  Canaanitish  kings,  shout- 

360 


JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 


361 


3-29 


362 


JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 


ing  their  terrible  battle  cry,  “  God  is  mighty  in  battle :  God  is 
his  name.”  The  enemy,  surprised,  fell  into  a  panic,  and  fled 
up,  up  the  long,  rocky  ascent  to  Upper  Beth-horon. 

The  Israelites  pursued.  The  enemy  passed  the  top  of  the 
hill.  They  started  the  descent  on  the  other  side — down  a 
“  rough,  rocky,  road,  sometimes  over  the  upturned  edges  of 
the  limestone  strata,  sometimes  over  sheets  of  smooth  rock, 
sometimes  over  loose,  rectangular  stones,  sometimes  over 
steps  cut  in  the  rock.” 

And  it  was  while  the  Canaanites  were  fleeing  down  this 
perilous  way  that  God  showed  once  more  that  he  was  fight¬ 
ing  for  Israel.  A  great  storm  suddenly  arose.  Great  hail¬ 
stones  fell  upon  the  terrified  Canaanites,  but  the  Israelites, 
following,  were  unharmed.  The  victory  seemed  complete. 
The  Canaanites  were  routed,  and  Joshua  and  his  men  were 
conquerors. 

The  day  did  not  seem  long  enough  to  Joshua.  He  felt 
that  night  was  coming  too  soon  for  him  to  complete  the  rout 
of  his  foes.  He  prayed  to  God  once  more  and  asked  a 
miracle : 


“  Sun,  stand  thou  still  upon  Gibeon ; 

And  thou,  Moon,  in  the  valley  of  Aijalon.” 

And  in  some  way  we  do  not  understand,  God  granted 
Joshua’s  request.  The  day  was  lengthened  until  the  victory 
of  God’s  people  was  complete,  and  they  had  won  once  more 
a  step  in  the  conquest  of  the  Promised  Land. 

The  rest  of  the  story  tells  how  the  five  kings  were  cap¬ 
tured  in  a  cave,  Makkedah,  and  slain.  Then  the  Israelites 
advanced  farther  and  farther  into  the  Promised  Land  in  their 
career  of  conquest.  God  was  with  them,  and  was  helping 
them  to  win  the  victory. 

The:  Book  of  Jashar 

The  Book  of  Jashar  was  a  collection  of  poems  which  is 
quoted  in  our  lesson  passage.  It  is  mentioned  also  in 
II  Samuel  1  :18,  where  David  sings  the  “  song  of  the  bow,”  at 
the  time  of  the  death  of  Saul  and  Jonathan.  Nothing  more 
is  known  of  this  book. 


JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS  363 

Handwork  and  Map  Work 

Take  a  sheet  of  paper  four  by  six  inches.  Fold  it  cross¬ 
wise  into  thirds.  Also  fold  it  lengthwise  into  thirds.  Spread 
out  the  unfolded  sheet.  You  will  have  nine  blocks.  Now 
look  at  the  map  of  Palestine  which  is  given  on  page  340. 
Take  your  sheet  of  paper,  and  tear  the  left-hand  long  edge 
to  look  like  the  boundary  of  the  land  along  the  Mediter¬ 
ranean  Sea.  If  you  make  a  mistake,  take  another  sheet  of 
paper.  You  will  find  that  the  blocks  which  you  have  folded 
make  the  tearing  easier.  Now,  with  your  pencil,  copy  on  the 
map  the  Jordan  River  and  the  Sea  of  Galilee  and  the  Dead 
Sea.  Put  in  the  cities  which  we  have  studied  about  so  far 
in  the  stories  of  the  Conquest  of  Canaan.  Color  the  map 
with  crayons,  if  you  want  to  do  this,  making  the  water  blue, 
the  low  land  brown,  the  highlands  green. 


Notebook  Work 

Continue  in  your  notebook  the  story  of  the  conquest  of 
Canaan.  Find  the  names  of  the  cities  of  the  five  kings  and 
their  own  names  in  your  lesson  passage,  and  write  them  in 
your  notebook.  Look  at  the  map  on  page  361,  to  find  the 
situations  of  the  places  from  which  the  kings  came. 


Expressionae  Activity 

God  commanded  the  Israelites  to  destroy  utterly  the  idol- 
worshiping  people  of  the  land  who  would  tempt  them  to  sin. 
He  wants  us,  too,  to  destroy  all  the  thoughts  of  our  hearts, 
all  the  temptations  that  would  lead  us  to  sin.  Let  us  try  this 
week  to  fight  against  one  bad  habit — laziness,  or  selfishness, 
or  some  other  fault.  Perhaps  we  can  fight  against  five  bad 
habits,  as  the  Israelites  fought  against  five  kings.  And  God 
will  help  us  as  he  helped  them. 

Memory  Work 

Continue  the  learning  of  the  names  of  the  months  of  the 
Jewish  year,  which  you  began  last  week.  These  are  given 
on  pages  353-354. 


364  JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 

SUNDAY  SESSION 

JOSHUA’S  LAST  ADDRESS 

Joshua,  chapter  24, 

The  Memory  Verses 

“  Choose  you  this  day  whom  ye  will  serve.” 

— Joshua  24:15b. 

“  Jehovah  our  God  will  we  serve,  and  unto  his  voice  will 
we  hearken.” — Joshua  24:24b. 

The  Lesson  Story 


Twenty-five  years  had  passed  since  the  Israelites  had 
crossed  the  Jordan  River  and  come  into  the  Promised  Land. 
One  after  another  their  enemies  had  fallen  before  them,  and 
at  last  they  were  at  peace.  The  land  had  been  distributed 
among  the  tribes ;  the  tabernacle  had  been  set  up  at  Shiloh ; 
everything  was  prosperous. 

Joshua  was  by  this  time  an  old  man.  He  knew  that  the 
end  of  his  life  must  soon  come,  and  he  felt  that  once  more 
he  wanted  to  remind  the  people  of  God’s  goodness  to  them 
and  to  help  them  to  keep  true  to  his  service.  So  he  called 
together  a  great  assemblage  of  the  people.  From  all  parts 
of  the  land  they  came  together  to  central  Palestine,  to 
Shechem,  where  hundreds  of  vears  before  Abraham  had 
built  the  first  altar  to  the  true  God  in  Palestine,  Genesis  12  :6. 
There,  too,  Jacob  had  settled  after  he  had  returned  to 
Canaan,  Genesis  33:18,  and  it  was  to  Shechem  that  Joseph 
first  went  in  search  of  his  brothers.  Genesis  37:12-14. 
Shechem  was  a  place  well  known  in  the  history  of  the  Chil¬ 
dren  of  Israel. 

It  was  here  that  Joshua  spoke  the  words  of  his  last  ad¬ 
dress  to  the  people  whom  he  had  led  for  so  many  years. 
Solemnly  he  spoke  to  them,  and  solemnly  they  listened.  As 
he  thought  of  the  place  where  he  was  speaking  to  them,  he 
must  have  thought  of  the  great  events  which  had  happened 
there.  He  remembered  Abraham  and  Isaac  and  Jacob,  and 
he  reminded  the  people  of  the  great  things  that  had  been 
done  for  their  ancestors  and  for  themselves.  He  reviewed 


JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 


365 


the  story  of  God's  dealings  with  the  Israelites  from  the  days 
of  Abraham  to  their  own  time.  Then  he  came  to  the  reason 
for  his  speech. 

“  You  know  all  these  great  things  that  God  has  done  for 
you,”  he  said.  “  You  know  the  blessings  that  you  have  re¬ 
ceived.  Now  choose  !  Will  you  serve  him,  or  will  you  serve 
the  gods  of  the  heathen?  As  for  me  and  my  house,  we  will 
serve  Jehovah.” 

The  people  answered  with  a  mighty  shout,  “  We  also  will 
serve  Jehovah;  for  he  is  our  God.” 


Again  Joshua  repeated  his  words,  still  more  solemnly. 

“  Ye  cannot  serve  Jehovah  and  the  heathen  gods.  He  is  a 
jealous  God.  He  will  not  forgive  transgressions.” 

And  again  the  people  shouted,  “  We  will  serve  Jehovah.” 

A  third  time  Joshua  spoke  to  them,  and  a  third  time  the 
people  promised.  “  Jehovah  our  God  will  we  serve,  and  unto 
his  voice  will  we  hearken.” 

Then  Joshua  wrote  all  these  words  in  the  book  of  the  law. 
He  took  a  great  stone  and  set  it  up  there  at  Shechem  as  a 
witness.  And  there,  for  many  years  it  spoke  silently  to  the 


366 


JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 


people,  reminding  them  of  their  promise  to  serve  the  true 
God,  and  not  the  gods  of  the  heathen.  And  the  Bible  tells  us 
that  “  Israel  served  Jehovah  all  the  days  of  Joshua,  and  all 
the  days  of  the  elders  that  outlived  Joshua,  and  had  known 
all  the  work  of  Jehovah,  that  he  had  wrought  for  Israel.” 

Joshua  died  not  very  long  after  this,  at  the  age  of  one 
hundred  and  ten  years.  He  had  done  his  work,  serving  God 
and  his  nation  in  many  ways.  He  had  always  been  strong 
and  of  good  courage,  for  God  had  helped  him  always,  as  he 
had  promised.  And  when  Joshua  died,  he  left  behind  him 
an  example  which  the  people  of  Israel  remembered  and  imi¬ 
tated  for  hundreds  of  years — an  example  which  we,  too,  can 
remember  and  follow. 

Putting  the:  Lfsson  Into  the:  Life:  of  the:  Class 

We  people  of  to-day — men  and  women,  boys  and  girls — 
have  before  us  the  choice  which  Joshua  put  before  the  people 
of  Israel.  God  says  to  us,  too,  “  Choose  ye  this  day  whom 
ye  will  serve.”  Are  you  saying  as  Joshua  said,  “  As  for  me, 
I  will  serve  the  Lord  ”  ? 

Joshua  gave  to  the  people  an  example  of  .strength  and 
courage  in  leadership.  Do  you  lead  your  friends  and  com¬ 
panions  in  the  right  way,  or  do  you  follow?  If  you  follow, 
are  you  always  sure  to  follow  a  good  leader,  or  do  you 
sometimes  follow  a  leader  who  gets  you  into  trouble?  Be  a 
wise  leader  yourself,  or  else,  if  you  follow  another,  be  sure 
that  he  is  one  who  will  lead  you  in  the  right  way. 

Better  than  any  human  leader  is  Christ  the  Leader. 
“  Where  he  leads  me,  I  will  follow.”  If  you  take  him  as 
your  Guide,  he  is  sure  to  lead  you  aright. 

The  memorial  stone  which  Joshua  set  up  reminded  the 
people  of  their  covenant  with  God.  We  Americans,  too, 
have  memorial  stones  which  remind  us  of  great  events. 
Daniel  Webster,  speaking  at  Bunker  Hill  monument,  said: 
“  That  motionless  shaft  will  be  the  most  powerful  of 
speakers.  Its  speech  will  be  of  civil  and  religious  liberty.  It 
will  speak  of  patriotism  and  liberty.  It  will  speak  of  pa¬ 
triotism  and  courage.  It  will  speak  of  the  moral  improve¬ 
ment  and  elevation  of  mankind.  Decrepit  age  will  lean 
against  its  base,  and  ingenuous  youth  gather  around  it,  speak 


JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 


367 


to  each  other  of  the  glorious  events  with  which  it  is  con¬ 
nected,  and  exclaim,  ‘  Thank  God,  I  also  am  an  American !  ’  ” 

The  Lesson  Truth  in  Your  Life 

In  making  the  choices  which  I  must  make  in  my  life,  I 
will  take  Christ  as  my  Guide,  so  that  he  may  lead  me  to 
right  service  of  the  Lord. 

A  Story  of  Another  Choice  of  God  and  the  Right 

It  was  in  Lyons,  in  southern  France,  toward  the  end  of 
the  second  century  after  Christ.  There  was  a  great  conflict 
between  the  pagans  and  the  followers  of  Christ,  and  many 
of  the  Christians  were  killed  for  their  faith.  Among  them 
was  a  poor  maiden  named  Blandina.  She  loved  Christ ;  she 
chose  to  follow  and  serve  him,  though  she  endured  tortures 
and  finally  death  for  his  sake.  We  who  make  the  choice  for 
God  to-day  may  thank  him  over  and  over  again  that  we  are 
not  called  on  to  endure  the  tortures  which  she  endured.  An 
old  letter  of  the  time  tells  about  her:  “  She  was  of  such  weak 
bodily  frame  that  we  all  trembled  for  her.  But.  wonderful 
to  say,  she  was  able  by  the  help  of  God  to  bid  defiance  to  the 
several  executioners  who  tortured  her  from  daybreak  until 
night.  They  finally  owned  themselves  vanquished.  They 
affirmed  that  the  resources  of  their  barbarous  art  were  ex¬ 
hausted,  and  testified  their  astonishment  that  Blandina,  after 
all  that  she  had  endured,  was  still  living.  ‘  We  do  not  un¬ 
derstand  it,’  they  said.”  .  .  .  Meanwhile  Blandina  was  gain¬ 
ing  new  strength  by  the  confession  of  her  faith.  “  I  am  a 
Christian,”  she  cried,  and  by  this  utterance  dulled  the  point 
of  her  anguish. 

Then  Blandina  was  led  into  the  amphitheater  .  .  .  and 
made  fast  to  a  post,  in  order  to  be  consumed  by  wild  beasts. 
But  none  of  them  touched  her,  and  she  was  then  unbound 
and  led  back  to  prison,  kept  for  another  conflict. 

This  last  conflict  came  on  the  closing  dav  of  the  gladitorial 
shows.  Blandina  was  brought  into  the  arena,  at  the  same 
time  with  a  youth,  a  boy  of  fifteen  years,  named  Ponticus. 
.  .  .  An  effort  was  put  forth  to  make  them  swear  by  the 
pagan  idols.  The  sex  of  the  one  and  the  youth  of  the  other 
was  counted  on  to  secure  submission.  In  this  expectation 


368 


JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 


Jesus  Christ  was  forgotten,  who  makes  use  of  weakness  to 
put  strength  to  shame.  They  both  refused  to  obey.  The 
crowd,  like  a  wild  beast  that  sees  its  prey  escape,  wished 
every  kind  of  torture  to  be  exhausted.  Ponticus  was  first 
taken.  .  .  .  Blandina  was  left  alone.  .  .  .  She  was  whipped, 
torn  by  the  beasts,  set  upon  a  hot  chair ;  afterwards  she  was 
inclosed  in  a  net  to  be  thrown  to  a  wild,  raging  ox,  and  was 
tossed  all  broken  into  the  air.  Finally  she  was  strangled. 
So  great  courage  confounded  the  pagans.  They  owned  that 
there  was  no  woman  among  their  number  that  could  have 
endured  such  an  amazing  and  long-continued  course  of 
suffering. 

Reader,  is  the  spirit  of  this  woman  also  in  thee?  Of  her¬ 
self  she  was  only  what  thou  art.  Seek  what  she  sought,  and 
thou  wilt  find  what  she  found.  “  When  I  am  weak,  then  am 
I  strong.” — “  Lives  of  the  Leaders  of  the  Church  Uni¬ 
versal,”  by  MacCracken. 


EXPRESSIONAL  SESSION 

CHOOSING  TO  SERVE  THE  LORD 
I  Kings  18:30-39 

Suggestions  for  the  Leader’s  Opening  Address 

The  people  of  Israel  in  the  days  of  Joshua  chose  to  serve 
the  Lord  rather  than  the  idols  of  the  heathen.  So  did  the 
people  in  the  days  of  Elijah  the  prophet.  The  people  who 
live  to-day  in  this  great  land  of  ours  have  a  choice  to  make, 
too.  We  do  not  have  to  choose  between  the  true  God  and 
ugly  idols  of  stone  and  wood  such  as  the  heathen  of  Joshua’s 
time,  or  of  Elijah’s  time  worshiped,  but  we  do  have  to  choose 
whether  we  will  serve  God  or  not.  We  have  to  choose  be¬ 
tween  loving  him  best,  or  ourselves  best ;  we  have  to  choose 
between  seeking  him  first,  or  seeking  worldly  success  first; 
we  have  to  choose  many  times  between  helping  others  for 
his  sake,  or  doing  something  for  ourselves.  In  all  these 
things  we  should  feel  as  Joshua  felt.  In  answer  to  the  ques¬ 
tion,  “  Choose  ye  this  day,”  we,  too,  should  say,  “  As  for 


JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 


369 


me  ...  I  will  serve  the  Lord.”  Let  us  ask  God  to  help  us 
to  make  this  choice. 


The;  Class  Prayer 

Our  Father  in  heaven,  help  us  to  make  the  right  choice 
when  a  choice  is  necessary  for  us.  Help  us  always  to  decide 
to  serve  thee  in  every  way.  We  ask  in  Jesus’  name.  Amen. 

Vkrsks  lor  Use;  in  the  Meeting 

Psalm  119  :30 ;  2:11  ;  John  4  :24  ;  Matthew  6  :24  ;  I  Chron¬ 
icles  28:9;  I  Kings  18:21  ;  II  Corinthians  6:2. 


Hymns  that  May  Be  Used  in  Connection 
with  the  Meeting 

“  Who  Is  on  the  Lord’s  Side?” 

“  O  Happy  Day  That  Fixed  My  Choice.” 

“  Now  Is  the  Time  to  Decide.” 

Questions  eor  Use  in  the  Meeting 

1.  How  did  God  show  that  he  was  with  the  Israelites  in 
the  conquest  of  Canaan? 

2.  Who  was  the  leader  of  the  five  kings  ? 

3.  Where  did  Joshua  call  the  people  of  Israel  together 
for  his  farewell  address  to  them? 

4.  What  other  great  events  in  the  history  of  Israel  hap¬ 
pened  at  this  place  ? 

5.  How  old  was  Joshua  at  the  time  of  his  death? 

6.  What  did  the  Israelites  decide  about  serving  God? 

7.  What  are  you  going  to  decide  about  serving  God  ? 

8.  How  are  you  going  to  show  this  ? 

Topics  for  Discussion  or  Reports 

1.  Deciding  for  God  and  Right. 

2.  The  Canaanitish  Kings. 

3.  The  Israelites  Deciding  for  God  at  a  Later  Time. 
I  Kings  18:30-39. 


370 


JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 


4.  How  Some  Great  Men  of  the  Past  Have  Decided. 
(Jacob,  Joseph,  Polycarp,  Luther.) 

5.  How  a  Junior  Can  Show  that  He  Has  Decided  for 
God  and  the  Right. 

6.  Everyday  Decisions  for  the  Right. 

7.  Decisions  I  Can  Make  To-Day. 

To  Read  in  the  Meeting 

On  one  side  is  ourselves,  our  own  way,  our  own  wills  and 
desires,  the  way  of  the  world  and  the  way  of  Satan.  On  the 
other  side  is  Christ.  Which  shall  we  choose  ?  He  has  chosen 
all  of  us,  for  when  we  were  baptized  he  took  us  for  his  own 
children  and  brought  us  like  lambs  into  the  fold  of  the 
Church.  And  when  we  grew  up,  some  of  us  chose  him  as 
our  Master. 

I  am  going  to  choose  him  to  be  my  King  and  my  Guide — 
he  died  for  me,  and  I  am  going  to  live  for  him. 

“  Lord,  thou  needst  not,  I  know, 

Service  such  as  I  can  bring; 

Yet  I  long  to  prove  and  show 
Full  allegiance  to  my  King.” 


STORIES  OF  THE  JUDGES 


CHAPTER  XXXVII 

WEEK  DAY  SESSION 

WHEN  THERE  WAS  NO  KING  IN  ISRAEL 
Judges,  chapters  1  to  3 
The  Memory  Verse 

“  In  those  days  there  was  no  king  in  Israel :  every  man  did 
that  which  was  right  in  his  own  eyes.”— Judges  17  :6. 


The  Lesson  Story 

The  Israelites  had  won  the  Promised  Land.  The  country 
had  been  divided  among  the  various  tribes.  The  tabernacle 
had  been  set  up  at  Shiloh.  Joshua,  the  old  leader,  had  fin¬ 
ished  his  task  and  had  died  at  the  age  of  one  hundred  and 
ten  years,  and  had  been  buried  at  Timnath-serah. 

After  Joshua’s  death  the  people  of  Israel  had  no  human 
leader.  Their  King  was  God,  but  they  often  forgot  that  fact. 
They  had  not  obeyed  his  command  and  driven  out  all  the 
heathen  from  the  land.  They  lived  among  those  who  wor¬ 
shiped  Baal  and  Ashtaroth  and  the  other  heathen  gods,  and 
the  tabernacle  at  Shiloh  was  almost  forgotten.  Instead  of 
being  a  united  nation  with  God  as  their  King,  the  people  of 
Israel  seemed  to  be  becoming  just  twelve  separate  tribes, 
settled  among  the  other  tribes  of  Canaan. 

The  heathen  tribes  who  were  most  dangerous  to  the  Israel¬ 
ites  were:  (1)  The  Perizzites,  who  lived  in  the  open  country 
and  tilled  the  ground.  (2)  The  Hivites,  who  lived  in  vil¬ 
lages,  but  who  raised  sheep  and  cattle.  (3)  The  Amorites, 
who  lived  in  the  highlands.  (4)  The  Philistines,  on  the 
seacoast.  (5)  The  Moabites  and  the  Ammonites  to  the  east 
of  the  Jordan.  All  these  people  were  of  the  Phoenician  race. 
In  many  ways  they  were  much  more  civilized  than  the  Israel¬ 
ites,  but  in  one  way  they  were  far  beneath  them.  They  wor- 

373 


374 


JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 


shiped  the  horrible  gods,  Baal  and  Ashtaroth.  And  it  was 
because  the  Israelites  forgot  the  true  God  who  had  done  so 
much  for  them,  and  influenced  by  their  heathen  neighbors, 
turned  to  the  worship  of  these  gods,  that  trouble  came  to 
them  again. 

At  the  very  beginning  of  the  Book  of  Judges  we  find  that 
the  men  of  the  tribes  of  Judah  and  Simeon  fought  many  vic¬ 
torious  battles  against  the  Canaanites,  for  God  was  with 
them.  But  gradually  the  people  forgot  God  and  forsook  his 
worship  until  Jehovah  became  angry  with  them  and  let  their 
enemies  conquer  them.  “  Whithersoever  they  went  out,  the 
hand  of  Jehovah  was  against  them  for  evil,  .  .  .  and  they 
were  sore  distressed.” 

But  God  was  merciful  to  them  again.  Once  more  he 
helped  them.  He  raised  up  judges.  These  judges  were  not 
what  we  mean  by  the  word,  but  leaders  who  delivered  the 
Israelites  from  their  trouble.  The  first  of  the  leaders  men¬ 
tioned  is  Othniel,  the  nephew  of  Caleb,  who,  you  remember, 
had  been  one  of  the  two  faithful  spies,  Caleb  and  Joshua, 
who  had  first  explored  Canaan.  Othniel  fought  successfully 
against  the  enemies  of  Israel,  and  for  forty  years  the  land 
was  at  peace. 

But  again  the  Israelites  forgot  God’s  goodness  to  them, 
and  again  God  allowed  an  enemy  king  to  come  against  them. 
This  time  the  foe  was  Eglon,  king  of  Moab,  and  for  eighteen 
years  the  Israelites  served  him. 

Again  they  turned  back  to  the  true  God  and  asked  his 
help.  This  time,  the  judge  who  was  sent  to  help  them  was 
Ehud,  a  Benjamite. 

Now  there  was  a  strange  thing  about  the  Benjamites. 
Very  many  of  them  were  left-handed.  Judges  20:16.  Ehud 
was  one  of  these  left-handed  men.  The  story  of  how  he 
overcame  Eglon  shows  how  this  left-handedness  helped  him. 
Eglon  was  “  a  very  fat  man.”  One  day,  as  he  was  in  his 
summer  house,  Ehud  asked  for  an  interview.  He  was 
allowed  to  see  the  king  alone.  He  had  a  dagger  hidden,  and, 
as  he  approached  the  king,  he  grasped  it  in  his  left  hand — 
the  hand  that  the  king  would  not  expect  him  to  use — and 
thrust  it  into  the  body  of  Eglon,  and  killed  him.  Then  he 
slipped  out  of  the  room  and  escaped.  He  summoned  the 


JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 


375 


Israelites ;  there  was  a  great  battle,  and  the  Israelites,  with 
God’s  help,  were  victorious. 

Another  victory  at  the  time  was  won  by  Shamgar,  who 
killed  six  hundred  Philistines  with  an  oxgoad. 

During  all  the  rest  of  Ehud’s  life  the  Israelites  had  peace. 
For  eighty  years  “  the  land  had  rest,”  while  the  people  wor¬ 
shiped  God,  the  true  God,  as  he  had  commanded  them  to  do. 


.  Handwork 

Take  a  strip  of  paper  ten  inches  long  and  four  inches  wide, 
and  two  pieces  of  wood,  as  rollers,  and  make  a  scroll  book, 
such  as  the  Israelites  used.  In  this  keep  a  list  of  the  judges 
of  Israel.  Your  book  should  be  rolled  on  the  right  hand 
roller  as  it  is  read,  so  write  the  first  name  at  the  right-hand 
end  of  the  paper.  1.  Othniel.  Then  tell  something  about 
him.  There  will  be  the  names  of  twelve  judges,  so  you  can 
allow  space  for  this. 


Notebook  Work 

Write  the  story  of  one  of  the  first  “  judges,”  about  whom 
we  are  studying  this  week,  in  your  notebook. 


376  JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 

Expressional  Activity 

Try  this  week  to  be  brave  for  the  right  as  were  these 
judges  whom  God  raised  up  to  help  the  Israelites. 


Memory  Work 
recessional 

God  of  our  fathers,  known  of  old, 

Lord  of  our  far-flung  battle  line, 
Beneath  whose  awful  hand  we  hold 
Dominion  over  palm  and  pine : 

Lord  God  of  hosts,  be  with  us  yet, 
Lest  we  forget — lest  we  forget. 


The  tumult  and  the  shouting  dies ; 

The  captains  and  the  kings  depart ; 

Still  stands  thine  ancient  sacrifice, 

An  humble  and  a  contrite  heart : 

Lord  God  of  hosts,  be  with  us  yet, 

Lest  we  forget— lest  we  forget. 

- — Rudyard  Kipling. 


SUNDAY  SESSION 

DEBORAH  AND  BARAK  DEFEAT  SISERA 

Judges,  chapters  4,  5 

The  Memory  Verse 

“  Thus  saith  Jehovah  unto  you,  Fear  not  ye,  neither  be 
dismayed  by  reason  of  this  great  multitude  ;  for  the  battle 
is  not  yours,  but  God’s.” — II  Chronicles  20:15b. 

The  Lesson  Story 

After  the  death  of  Ehud,  the  Israelites  again  forgot  God’s 
goodness  to  them.  Again  they  turned  to  the  worship  of 
heathen  idols,  and  again  God  punished  them  by  allowing  a 
heathen  king  to  rule  over  them.  This  king  was  Jabin,  king 
of  Canaan,  who  lived  in  Hazor.  He  was  a  cruel  king,  with 
a  cruel  general,  Sisera,  wTho  commanded  an  army  so  great 


JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 


377 


that  there  were  in  it  nine  hundred  iron  chariots.  For  twenty 
years  Jabin  oppressed  the  Israelites. 

Once  more  the  Israelites  turned  to  God  and  prayed  for  aid. 
And  once  more  he  answered  the  prayers  of  the  people,  by 
raising-  up  a  judge.  This  time  the  judge  was  a  woman — 
Deborah,  the  wife  of  Lappidoth.  Deborah  called  to  the  lead¬ 


ership  of  the  army  of  Israel  a  man  of  the  tribe  of  Naphtali, 
Barak,  the  son  of  Abinoam. 

“  God  hath  commanded  thee  to  go  against  the  forces  of 
Sisera,”  she  said.  “  Take  ten  thousand  men  and  move 
toward  Mount  Tabor/’ 

“  I  will  go  if  you  will  go  with  me,”  answered  Barak. 

“  Certainly,  I  will  go,”  agreed  Deborah,  “  but  if  I  do  go, 
the  honor  of  the  defeat  of  Sisera  will  not  be  yours,  but  will 
belong  to  a  woman.'* 


378 


JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 


Quickly  Deborah  and  Barak  called  together  the  men  of 
the  northern  tribes,  Zebulun  and  Naphtali.  Ten  thousand 
men  answered  promptly.  It  was  the  land  belonging  to  these 
tribes  which  was  most  oppressed. 

Sisera  gathered  together  his  forces — his  great  army,  with 
its  nine  hundred  chariots  of  iron.  They  marched  toward  the 
valley  of  Jezreel. 

Deborah  knew  that  the  time  of  battle  had  come. 

“  Up !  ”  she  cried  to  Barak.  “  This  is  the  day.  Is  not 
Jehovah  gone  out  before  thee?’, 

So  encouraged,  Barah  advanced  with  his  ten  thousand  men. 
They  reached  the  Kishon  River.  It  was  a  day  of  storm  and 
flood,  and  the  river  was  swollen  and  rapid.  It  overflowed 
its  banks,  and  the  ground  was  soft  and  boggy.  A  tremen¬ 
dous  thunderstorm,  with  huge  hailstones,  broke  over  the 
plain  and  confused  and  blinded  the  Canaanites.  The  Israel¬ 
ites,  with  their  mighty  battle  cry,  advanced  again,  and  before 
them  the  enemy  fled.  Their  heavy  chariots  were  caught  in 
the  mud  and  refused  to  move.  The  men  leaped  out.  In  the 
confusion  they  rushed  into  the  Kishon  River.  Many  of  them 
were  swept  away  and  drowned.  Others  were  killed  by  the 
advancing  Israelites.  Sisera  himself  jumped  from  his 
chariot  and  escaped  on  foot,  but  was  later  killed  in  the  tent 
of  Tael  where  he  had  taken  refuge. 

Once  more  the  victory  of  the  Israelites  over  their  enemy 
was  complete.  Once  more  God  had  given  victory  to  his 
people  when  they  showed  their  trust  in  him. 

And  the  victory  son^  of  Deborah  is  a  song  that  shows 
that  the  people  knew  that  once  more  God  had  given  them 
victory — that  it  was  he  who  had  saved  them  from  their 
enemies. 

Putting  the  Lesson  Into  the  Liee  oe  the  Class 

Deborah  trusted  God’s  promise  of  help.  She  recognized 
that  the  victory  was  due  to  his  aid,  and  she  thanked  him 
from  all  her  heart  for  what  he  had  done.  We,  too,  should 
trust  God,  and  should  thank  him  for  his  goodness  to  us  and 
to  all  people. 

Again  God  used  the  forces  of  nature  in  helping  the  Israel¬ 
ites  to  win  the  victory.  He  does  not  fight  for  us  in  the  same 


Used  bj j  permission  oj  IV.  II.  IJurhans. 


JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 


379 


way  that  he  fought  for  the  Israelites,  but  he  will  give  us  aid 
in  times  of  trouble. 

Every  day  we  must  fight  battles  against  the  temptations 
to  wrong  which  are  in  our  hearts.  In  these  battles  God  will 
help  us  if  we  ask  him. 

The  Lesson  Truth  in  Your  Life 

There  will  come  to  even  the  most  faithful  of  God’s  fol¬ 
lowers  times  when  we  must  fight  a  battle  for  the  right  against 
the  Tempter  within  ourselves.  In  these  battles  against  sel¬ 
fishness,  or  laziness,  or  greed,  or  any  other  fault,  God  will 
help  us  if  we  ask  him. 

The  Plain  of  Jezreel,  or  Esdraelon 

The  Plain  of  Esdraelon  is  really  a  series  of  plains  extend¬ 
ing  across  Palestine  from  the  Mediterranean  Sea  to  the 
Jordan.  It  lies  about  two  hundred  feet  above  the  level  of  the 
Mediterranean  and  to  the  east  sinks  toward  the  Jordan  until 
it  is  below  sea  level.  Its  shape  is  that  of  an  equiangular 
triangle.  Through  the  middle  flows  the  low,  muddy  Kishon, 
which,  with  many  turnings,  at  last  reaches  Mount  Carmel 
and  then  finds  a  narrow  outlet  into  the  Mediterranean. 

It  is  said  that  the  Plain  of  Esdraelon  was  “  both  the  door 
and  the  key  to  Palestine.”  The  battle  of  Deborah  and  Barak 
was  only  one  of  many  which  have  been  fought  on  this  “  bat¬ 
tle  ground  of  the  world.”  We  shall  find  in  our  next  lesson 
that  there  was  fighting  there  again ;  *  all  through  the  Old 
Testament  it  was  the  scene  of  many  battles.  There  the 
Syrians  and  the  Egyptians  and  the  Jews  fought  in  the  times 
between  the  Old  and  the  New  Testaments.  The  Romans 
came  next.  “  Pompev,  Mark  Antony,  Vespasian,  and  Titus 
pass  at  the  head  of  their  legions,  and  the  men  of  Galilee  sally 
forth  upon  them  from  the  same  nooks  in  the  hills  of  Naphtali 
from  which  their  forefathers  broke  with  Barak  upon  the 
chariots  of  Canaan.” 

Three  centuries  later  the  Arabs  conquered  Jezreel.  For 
nearly  five  hundred  years  they  remained  in  power,  and  then 
came  the  Crusaders,  who  thronged  the  plain  with  their 
forces,  fighting  until  they  were  beaten  back  from  the  Holy 
Land  by  their  Saracen  enemies. 


380 


JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 


Again  in  1799  Napoleon  and  his  armies  fought  a  losing 
battle  for  the  Plain,  and  in  the  Great  War  it  was  the  scene 
of  the  victory  of  General  Allenby  and  the  British  Army  over 
the  Turks. 

Truly  the  battle  between  Deborah  and  Barak  and  the  forces 
of  the  Canaanites  was  the  first  of  many  which  have  been  im¬ 
portant  in  history,  and  the  Plain  of  Esdraelon  is  well  called 
“  the  battle  ground  of  the  world.” 


EXPRESSIONAL  SESSION 

LEADERSHIP  FOR  THE  RIGHT 
Exodus  3:11,  12 

Suggestions  for  the  Leader's  Opening  Address 

Long  lx?  fore  the  days  of  Deborah  and  Barak,  Moses,  at 
the  burning  bush,  hesitated  to  accept  the  leadership  of  the 
Israelites  which  God  wanted  him  to  take.  Barak,  too,  hesi¬ 
tated  when  he  was  called  upon  to  lead  the  Israelites  in  battle. 
But  both  of  them,  in  the  end,  took  the  responsibility,  and  be¬ 
came  leaders.  Do  you  know  how  much  the  world  needs 
leaders  to-day  ?  Do  you  know  that  God  is  calling  men  and 
women  to-day  who  hesitate  to  lead  just  as  Moses  and  Barak 
hesitated,  because  they  do  not  feel  that  they  are  ready  to 
take  great  responsibilities?  We  are  only  boys  and  girls,  but 
while  we  are  boys  and  girls  is  the  time  to  make  ready  for 
leadership  when  we  are  men  and  women.  We  must  learn 
now  the  lessons  which  will  help  us  to  be  leaders  for  the  right, 
both  now,  and  when  we  are  grown  up. 

The  Class  Prayer 

Our  Father,  we  ask  that  we  may  learn  well  the  lessons 
which  will  make  us  leaders  for  the  right.  Help  us  to  be 
ready  if  thou  shouldest  call  us  to  positions  of  leadership  in 
the  future.  We  ask  in  the  name  of  our  great  Leader  for  the 
right,  Jesus  Christ.  Amen. 


JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS  381 

Verses  for  Use  in  the  Meeting 

Psalm  23  :2,  3  ;  Isaiah  55  :4 ;  11:6;  Matthew  20 :2 7  ;  Mark 
9:35;  10:45. 

Hymns  that  May  Be  Used  in  Connection 
with  the  Meeting 

“  Follow  Thou  Me,  Is  the  Master's  Word.” 

“  Up  T  pnrleth  Me  ” 

“  Where  He  Leads  Me,  I  Will  Follow.” 

Questions  for  Use  in  the  Meeting 

1.  Why  did  Moses  hesitate  to  become  the  leader  of  the 
people  of  Israel,  as  God  commanded  him? 

2.  Why  did  Barak  hesitate  ?  Was  he  a  coward  ? 

3.  Did  you  ever  hesitate  about  taking  the  lead?  If  you 
did,  what  made  you  act  in  this  way? 

4.  How  can  you  best  prepare  for  leadership? 

5.  Is  everyone  fitted  to  be  a  1  ader,  or  must  some  of  us 
be  followers? 

6.  Are  you  ever  jealous  of  those  who  lead  in  your  class? 
in  your  homes ?  in  your  games?  How  should  you  try  to  con¬ 
quer  such  jealousy? 

Topics  for  Discussion  or  Reports 

1.  Preparing  for  Leadership. 

2.  How  Moses  Was  Prepared  for  Leadership. 

3.  Deborah  and  Barak. 

4.  How  a  Junior  Can  Prepare  to  Be  a  Leader. 

5.  Leadership  for  God. 

6.  Following  Our  Great  Leader,  Christ. 

7.  Schoolboy  Leaders. 

8.  Schoolgirl  Leaders. 

To  Read  in  the  Meeting 

Did  you  ever  play  “  follow  the  leader  ”  ?  When  you  were 
a  leader,  did  you  lead  into  danger  or  not?  In  the  game  of 
life  you  must  be  sure  to  lead  those  who  follow  you  in  the 
paths  of  right. 


382 


JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 


We  cannot  all  be  leaders,  but  we  can  do  our  part  as  fol¬ 
lowers  so  well,  that  if  we  are  ever  called  on  to  lead  in  an 
emergency,  we  will  be  ready. 

The  first  step  in  preparation  to  become  a  leader  is  to  learn 
to  be  obedient. 

No  one  can  command  others  who  cannot  command 
himself. 

Moses  prepared  for  leadership  by  learning  well  all  sorts 
of  lessons.  Juniors  can  follow  his  example  in  this. 

A  guide  through  a  forest  trail  must  know  the  trail  himself, 
or  he  will  lead  his  followers  astray.  If  we  want  to  lead 
others  in  the  paths  of  righteousness,  we  must  know  the  paths 
ourselves. 


CHAPTER  XXXVIII 

WEEK  DAY  SESSION 

THE  CALL  OF  GIDEON 
Judges  6:1-24 
The  Memory  Verse 

“  Blessed  is  the  man  whom  thou  choosest,” 

— Psalm  65  :4a. 

The  Lesson  Story 

For  forty  years  after  the  victory  of  Deborah  and  Barak 
the  land  of  Israel  had  rest  from  its  enemies.  Then  again 
they  forgot  the  true  God  and  his  goodness  to  them.  They 
turned  once  more  to  the  worship  of  the  gods  of  the  heathen 
— Baal  and  Ashtoreth.  Baal  was  the  sun  god  of  the  Phoe¬ 
nicians,  a  horrible  creature  of  their  imaginations,  whose 
worship  demanded  the  sacrifice  of  children.  Ashtoreth  was 
a  goddess,  worshiped  in  connection  with  Baal.  The  Asherah 
was  a  wooden  symbol  of  this  goddess,  sometimes  a  tree  with 
branches  cut  off,  sometimes  a  more  elaborte  wooden  figure. 
The  Children  of  Israel  were  certainly  doing  evil  in  the  sight 
of  the  true  God  when  they  turned  from  worshiping  him  to 
the  worship  of  these  creatures  made  of  wood  by  the  hands 
of  men. 

God  knew  that  his  people  must  again  be  punished  for 
their  sin.  Again  he  allowed  an  enemy  to  come  against  them 
and  to  subdue  them.  This  time  the  enemy  Avas  the  Midianites 
and  the  Amalekites  and  they  overran  the  land  of  Israel  in 
such  numbers  that  the  Bible  says  they  “  came  in  as  locusts 
for  multitude.”  They  took  all  the  grain  of  the  Israelites,  all 
their  cattle,  all  their  possessions  of  every  sort,  so  that  many 
of  God’s  people  had  to  leave  their  homes  and  take  refuge  in 
mountain  caves,  where  they  would  be  safe  from  the  enemy. 
When  things  had  reached  this  state,  the  thoughts  of  the 


383 


384 


JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 


people  turned  once  again  to  the  true  God  and  once  more  they 
called  upon  him  for  aid.  And  again  God  heard  their  call 
and  answered  it. 


THRESHING  IN  PALESTINE 


On  the  west  side  of  the  Jordan  was  the  town  of  Ophrah. 
In  this  place  there  lived  a  man  named  Joash — a  well-to-do 
farmer,  for  he  had  many  servants,  but,  nevertheless,  a  wor¬ 
shiper  of  Baal  and  Ashtoreth,  the  gods  of  the  heathen.  Joash 


JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS  385 

had  a  son  Gideon, — a  young  man  of  great  strength  and 
courage. 

But  Gideon  wasn’t  showing  strength  and  courage  on  the 
day  when  the  Bible  story  which  tells  of  him  began.  He  was 
beating  out  wheat  in  the  winepress !  That  is,  instead  of 
threshing  wheat  as  was  usually  done  with  a  flail  and  oxen, 
he  was  in  a  secret  place  beating  out  by  hand  with  a  stick  the 
grain  which  he  had  managed  to  hide  from  the  enemy.  And 
he  wasn’t  happy  about  it.  He  felt  ashamed  of  himself  and 
of  the  people  of  Israel.  He  was  sad  and  indignant. 

Suddenly  an  angel  appeared  to  him  and  spoke. 

“  Jehovah  is  with  thee,  thou  mighty  man  of  valor,”  the 
angel  said. 

Now  the  people  of  Ophrah,  including  Gideon’s  family,  no 
longer  worshiped  Jehovah.  They  worshiped  the  gods  of  the 
heathen.  So  the  speech  of  the  angel  must  have  seemed 
strange  to  Gideon.  He  answered  the  angel  earnestly. 

“  Oh,  my  lord,  if  Jehovah  is  with  us,  why  then  is  all  this 
befallen  us?  and  where  are  all  his  wondrous  works?” 
Gideon  does  not  seem  to  have  realized  that  the  fault  lay  with 
Israel  and  not  with  Jehovah. 

The  angel  spoke  again. 

“  Go  in  this  thy  might,  and  save  Israel  from  the  hand  of 
Midian :  have  not  I  sent  thee  ?  ” 

Gideon,  like  Moses,  like  Barak,  hesitated  to  accept  the 
leadership. 

“  Oh,  Lord,  wherewith  shall  I  save  Israel  ?  behold,  my 
family  is  the  poorest  in  Manasseh,  and  I  am  the  least  in  my 
father’s  house,”  he  said. 

Then  God  made  to  Gideon  the  great  promise  which  he  had 
made  to  so  many  other  leaders  for  him:  “  Surely  I  will  be 
with  thee,  and  thou  shalt  smite  the  Midianites  as  one  man.” 

So  Gideon  knew  that  he  was  God’s  choice.  He  accepted 
the  responsibility.  He  prepared  a  feast  for  the  Stranger, 
such  as  Abraham  had  prepared  for  the  angels,  Genesis  18  :7,  8 
— this  time,  a  kid  and  unleavened  cakes.  But  the  angel,  in¬ 
stead  of  eating  the  food,  stretched  out  the  staff  which  he  held 
in  his  hand.  He  touched  the  food  and  fire  came  forth  from 
the  rock  on  which  it  lay  and  consumed  it.  And  as  this  was 
done  the  angel  disappeared. 


386 


JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 


Thus  God  showed  to  Gideon  that  he  was  chosen  for  lead¬ 
ership.  He  was  to  lead  the  people  of  Israel  once  more  to 
victory  and  freedom — to  bring  them  back  once  more  to  the 
worship  of  the  true  God  and  the  way  of  righteousness. 

Handwork 

Gideon  was  threshing  grain,  but  he  was  not  doing  it  in  the 
way  that  threshing  was  usually  done  in  those  days.  Usually 
a  flat,  rocky  held  about  fifty  feet  in  diameter  on  a  hilltop  was 
used  as  a  “  threshing  floor.”  The  grain  was  loosened  and 
spread  over  this  place.  Then  oxen  were  driven  round  and 
round  over  the  grain  to  trample  out  the  kernels.  Sometimes 
they  dragged  a  heavy  cart  or  sled.  This  sled  was  made  of 
two  heavy  planks  curved  upward  at  the  front  and  fastened 
side  by  side,  with  sharp  pieces  of  stone  fixed  in  holes  bored 
in  the  bottom.  This  sled  beat  out  the  grain.  Then,  if  there 
was  wind,  the  threshed  grain  was  tossed  high  in  the  air  with 
a  shovel  or  a  fork.  The  chaff  blew  awray ;  the  grain  fell  to 
the  ground.  If  there  was  no  wind,  one  man  plied  a  large 
fan,  while  another  tossed  the  grain. 

See  if  you  can  make  on  the  sand  table  a  scene  of  thresh¬ 
ing  grain  as  it  wTas  usually  done  in  Palestine. 

Map  Work 

Draw  on  the  blackboard  a  map  of  Palestine,  showing  the 
Jordan  River  and  the  Plain  of  Jezreel,  about  which  you 
studied  last  week. 


Notebook  Work 

Write  in  your  notebook  the  story  of  the  call  of  Gideon  in 
your  own  wrords. 

Expressional  Activity 

During  this  week  keep  steadily  at  the  duty  which  lies  near¬ 
est  to  you.  That  is  what  Gideon  was  doing,  when  God 
called  him  to  leadership. 

Memory  Work 

Learn  the  following  stanza: 


JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 


387 


I  live  for  those  who  love  me, 

For  those  who  know  me  true, 

For  the  heavens  that  bend  above  me, 

And  the  good  that  I  can  do ; 

For  the  cause  that  needs  assistance, 

For  the  wrongs  that  lack  resistance, 

For  the  future  in  the  distance, 

And  that  good  that  I  can  do. 

-Thomas  Guthrie. 


SUNDAY  SESSION 

GIDEON’S  ANSWER  TO  THE  CALL 
Judges  6 :25-32 
The  Memory  Verse 

“  Surely  I  will  be  with  thee." — Judges  6:16b. 

The  Lesson  Story 

“  Come,  Abimelech  !  Come,  Jothan!  Come!  ”  From  one 
to  another  of  his  father’s  servants  Gideon  went  that  night. 
Quietly  he  roused  them.  Quietly  he  gave  his  orders.  God’s 
message  had  come  to  him  and  he  was  ready  to  do  his  duty. 
The  hrst  step  was  to  destroy  the  place  of  worship  of  the 
heathen  gods,  as  the  true  God  had  directed. 

Quietly  they  took  the  two  bullocks  of  Joash,  the  father  of 
Gideon.  They  threw  down  the  altar  of  Baal  and  cut  down 
the  wooden  image  of  the  goddess  that  was  near  by.  Then 
they  built  up  an  altar  to  the  true  God — one  stone  on  another, 
all  things  quietly  and  in  order.  The  wood  from  the  image 
of  the  Asherah  was  placed  on  the  altar.  One  of  the  bullocks 
was  slain;  the  flesh  was  laid  on  the  wood.  Fire  was  kindled, 
and  once  more  in  Israel  a  burnt  offering  was  given  to  the 
Lord. 

Gideon  had  feared  to  destroy  the  images  of  the  heathen 
gods  by  day,  and  so  had  acted  at  night.  The  next  morning 
showed  that  his  fears  were  justified,  for  when  the  people  of 
the  city  discovered  what  he  had  done,  they  hastened  to  Joash. 
They  demanded  that  Gideon  should  be  handed  over  to  them 
to  be  slain. 


388 


JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 


But  Joash,  his  father,  showed  that  he  was  a  wise  man. 

“If  Baal  is  a  god/'  he  said,  “  he  can  take  care  of  himself. 
He  does  not  need  your  vengeance.  Let  Baal  punish  Gideon.” 

The  people  were  persuaded.  They  did  not  lay  hands  on 
Gideon.  He  was  free,  for  God  was  with  him  as  he  had 
promised  to  be.  He  had  taken  the  first  step  as  leader  of  the 
people  by  freeing  his  own  home  from  the  worship  of  the 
heathen  gods,  and  his  townsmen,  many  of  them,  must  have 
followed  his  example. 

Putting  the  Lesson  Into  the  Life  of  the  Class 

If  we  put  God  into  our  hearts,  we  must  destroy  all  other 
idols.  If  we  want  to  lead  others  in  the  paths  of  righteous¬ 
ness,  we  must  first  know  those  paths  ourselves. 

If  we  are  brave  for  the  right,  we  will  lead  others  to  be 
brave  also.  Enthusiasm  for  a  good  cause  will  lead  others  to 
join  with  us. 

The  Lesson  Truth  in  Your  Life 

I  will  drive  out  all  other  idols  from  my  heart  and  worship 
only  the  true  God. 


EXPRESSIONAL  SESSION 

TAKING  RESPONSIBILITY 
Judges  6 :33  to  7  :1 

Suggestions  for  the  Leader's  Opening  Address 

Gideon  hesitated  to  accept  the  responsibility  which  God 
wanted  him  to  take  as  Moses  and  Barak  had  hesitated. 
Twice  he  asked  God  to  prove  to  him  by  means  of  the  fleece 
that  God  was  really  with  him.  We  often  find  that  men  and 
women  are  afraid  to  undertake  the  great  tasks  that  God 
wants  them  to  undertake.  We  ourselves  often  dread  to  ac¬ 
cept  responsibilities,  and  we  often  are  shirkers.  We  don’t 
want  to  undertake  the  job  of  cutting  the  grass,  or  dressing 
the  baby.  We  would  rather  not  have  the  responsibility. 


JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 


389 


Perhaps  you  think  that  if  some  one  should  ask  you  to  do 
a  great  big  thing,  you  would  be  ready.  But  this  is  not  often 
so.  It  is  the  person  who  is  ready  to  accept  the  responsibility 
in  little  things  who  is  ready  when  the  emergency  comes. 
Let  us  ask  God  to  help  us  to  be  ready  to  accept  the  respon¬ 
sibilities  which  he  wants  us  to  take. 

The  Class  Prayer 

Our  Father  in  heaven,  help  us  to  do  well  our  duties  of 
every  day,  so  that  if  the  time  comes  for  us  to  do  a  great  task 
for  thee,  we  may  be  ready.  We  ask  in  Jesus’  name.  Amen. 


Verses  for  Use  in  the  Meeting 

John  8:12;  Matthew  16:24,  25;  Galatians  6:2;  Matthew 
11  :28,  29 ;  Titus  3:1;  II  Corinthians  8:11. 

Hymns  that  May  Be  Used  in  Connection 
with  the  Meeting 

“  Go,  Labor  On.” 

“  O  Master,  Let  Me  Walk  with  Thee.” 

“  Hark,  'Tis  the  Watchman’s  Cry.” 

“  Lord,  Lead  the  Way  the  Saviour  Went.” 

“  Take  My  Life,  andLet  It  Be.” 

“  Lead  On,  O  King  Eternal.” 

“  O  Jesus,  I  Have  Promised.” 

Questions  for  Use  in  the  Meeting 

1.  Compare  the  ways  in  which  Moses,  Barak,  and  Gideon 
received  God’s  command  that  they  should  accept  respon¬ 
sibilities. 

2.  Name  any  modern  leaders  whom  you  know  of  who 
hesitated  to  assume  responsibilities. 

3.  If  you  were  asked  to  be  responsible  for  an  important 
undertaking,  what  would  you  do  ? 

4.  How  can  a  Junior  prepare  for  greater  responsibilities? 

5.  Have  you  done  anything  this  week  that  will  help  you 
in  the  responsibilities  of  the  future? 

6.  How  can  you  best  prepare  for  the  future? 


390 


PRIMARY  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 


7.  Where  will  you  get  the  greatest  help  in  bearing  the 
responsibilities  of  the  future? 

Topics  for  Discussion  or  Reports 

1.  Accepting  Responsibilities. 

2.  How  Every  Responsibility  Prepares  Us  for  Greater 
Responsibilities. 

3.  How  I  Can  Prepare  for  Responsibilities. 

4.  The  Responsibilities  of  Leadership. 

5.  My  Responsibilities. 

6.  How  God  Will  Help  Us  in  Talking  Responsibilities. 

To  Read  in  the  Meeting 

It  is  a  wonderful  thing  to  be  called  to  do  God’s  work. 
We  all  receive  that  call,  and  should  make  ready  for  it  by 
doing  our  best  with  the  work  that  is  given  us  to  do  each  day. 

When  George  Washington  was  asked  to  become  the  Presi¬ 
dent  of  the  United  States,  he  asked  God’s  help  before  he 
assumed  the  responsibility. 

“  Boy  Wanted  ” 

“Wanted — a  Boy.’’  How  often  we 
This  quite  familiar  notice  see. 

Wanted — a  hoy  for  every  kind 
Of  task  that  a  busy  world  can  find. 

He  is  wanted — wanted  now  and  here; 

There  are  towns  to  build ;  there  are  paths  to  clear ; 

There  are  seas  to  sail ;  there  are  gulfs  to  span, 

In  the  ever  onward  march  of  man. 

Wanted — the  world  wants  boys  to-day, 

And  it  offers  them  all  it  has  for  pay. 

’Twill  grant  them  wealth,  position,  fame, 

A  useful  life,  and  an  honored  name. 

Boys  who  will  guide  the  plow  and  pen ; 

Boys  who  will  shape  the  ways  for  men ; 

Boys  who  will  forward  the  tasks  begun, 

For  the  world’s  great  work  is  never  done. 

The  world  is  eager  to  employ 

Not  just  one,  but  every  boy 

Who,  with  a  purpose  stanch  and  true, 

Will  greet  the  work  he  finds  to  do. 


JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 


391 


Honest,  faithful,  earnest,  kind, — 

To  good,  awake;  to  evil,  blind, — 

A  heart  of  gold  without  alloy, — 

Wanted — the  world  wants  such  a  boy. 

Forbes  &  Company,  Chicago. 

Used  by  Special  Arrangement  with  the  Publishers. 

A  Sweeper  Convert  Who  Showed  His  Faith 

The  little  village  of  Gilsuli  in  northern  India  was  settling 
down  for  the  night.  The  lights  were  beginning  to  glimmer, 
and  the  ordinary  bonfires  were  shedding  their  rays  of  warmth 
upon  the  small  groups  of  men  and  boys  who  squatted,  ac¬ 
cording  to  their  custom,  on  their  heels  in  circles  about  these 
fires.  The  young-  Christian,  whom  we  will  call  Zorawar 
(strong  one),  was  about  seventeen  years  old  and  his  family 
had  become  Christian  some  fifteen  years  before.  Zorawar 
and  his  people,  the  only  family  of  Christians  in  this  village, 
were  respectable  people  on  friendly  terms  with  all.  When 
the  talk  turned  to  their  daily  troubles,  some  one  less  relig¬ 
iously  inclined  than  most,  remarked,  “  It  is  a  pity  we  cannot 
go  and  cut  the  tender  branches  of  that  devil's  peepal  tree  to 
feed  our  cattle/’  Not  a  few  of  the  crowd  sympathized  with 
the  speaker.  The  opportunity  came  for  the  Christian  to  give 
his  testimony.  He  told  them  that  the  goddess  of  the  particu¬ 
lar  tree  referred  to,  like  all  idols,  was  not  to  be  feared,  for 
she  was  not  a  god,  that  the  living  God  and  Creator  was  not 
fashioned  by  men’s  hands,  that  he  is  loving  and  the  God  who 
gave  food  to  all.  Some  one  proposed  that  the  Christian  give 
proof  of  his  words  and  go  cut  the  leaves  of  the  tree  which 
was  supposed  to  belong  to  the  goddess.  The  crowd  joined 
in  making  a  real  challenge  to  the  }  oung  man.  He  said  that 
he  did  not  wish  to  do  anything  against  their  scruples  but  if 
they  would  not  be  offended  he  would  accept  the  challenge. 
They  said  to  him :  “  Go  to,  the  goddess  will  see  to  you  her¬ 
self.  You  will  be  cursed  and  destroyed  by  her.”  Next 
morning  a  curious  and  somewhat  fearful  crowd  gathered  to 
watch  the  outcome  of  this  conflict  between  the  Christian  and 
the  goddess  of  the  Hindus. 

Zorawar  with  his  big  knife  climbed  the  tree.  First  of  all, 
he  cut  the  cords  which  bound  the  bamboo  poles  right  up  in 
the  treetop,  on  which  fluttered  the  pennants  of  the  goddess, 


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JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 


and  threw  both  of  these  to  the  ground.  That  must  have 
caused  many  of  the  devout  to  catch  their  breath.  Next,  he 
cut  a  lot  of  the  tender  branches  at  the  top  and,  when  a  good- 
sized  pile  had  accumulated  on  the  ground,  he  came  down, 
gathered  up  the  branches,  and  carried  them  home  where  the 
buffalo  cow  devoured  them  greedily.  The  event  had  become 
much-talked-of,  and  all  through  the  village  people  discussed 
it  and  wondered  how  soon  the  goddess  would  take  vengeance, 
for  few  doubte  1  that  she  would.  Six  months  passed  and 
neither  Zorawar  nor  any  of  his  family  showed  any  signs  of 
having  been  cursed.  One  day  a  second  challenge  was  issued, 
for  these  villagers  thought  they  had  a  stronger  ally  in  the 
person  of  yet  another  the  smallpox  goddess.  This  was  a  big 
stone  about  four  and  a  half  feet  long  and  nine  inches  broad 
and  six  deep.  Again  Zorawar  hesitated  lest  he  offend  his 
neighbors,  but  when  they  put  it  up  to  him  and  the  goddess 
to  settle  the  question  between  themselves,  he  knew  what  to 
do.  He  had  once  tried  to  lift  the  big  stone  from  its  ancient 
bed,  but  lacked  the  strength.  He  called  his  brother,  and  to¬ 
gether  they  lifted  it  up  and  carrying  the  idol  to  their  house 
laid  it  in  front  of  their  door  for  a  doorstep.  Again  the  ex¬ 
pectation  that  some  dreadful  calamity  would  overtake  this 
family  died  away  with  the  passage  of  months  and  years. 

Zorawar  was  a  convert  from  the  despised  “  sweeper  caste.” 
He  is  still  a  humble,  friendly  neighbor  in  the  village  of 
Gilauli,  and  there  is  hope  that  some  day  he  may  have  the  joy 
of  seeing  his  fellow  citizens  accepting  his  Saviour. — From  A 
Letter  Sent  Oett  By  The  Board  of  Foreign  Missions  of 
The  North  India  Sunday  School. 


CHAPTER  XXXIX 

WEEK  DAY  SESSION 

GIDEON’S  VICTORY 
Judges,  chapter  7 

The  Memory  Verse 

“  Jehovah  is  on  my  side;  I  will  not  fear : 

What  can  man  do  unto  me?  ”  — Psalm  118:6. 

The  Lesson  Story 

In  answer  to  Gideon’s  call  to>  the  Israelites  men  from  all 
the  northern  part  of  Palestine  rallied  around  him.  There 
were  men  from  Manassah,  and  from  Asher,  and  from 
Zebulun,  and  from  Naphtali — thirty-two  thousand  of  them. 
They  came  together  at  the  south  side  of  the  valley  of  Jezreel, 
a  place  which  was  later  called  the  spring  of  Harod — “  Cow¬ 
ards’  Creek.”  On  the  other  side  of  this  valley  were  pitched 
the  camps  of  the  Midianites,  by  the  hill  Moreh. 

The  army  of  the  Israelites,  even  with  thirty-two  thousand 
men  seemed  small  in  comparison  with  the  great  force  of  the 
enemy,  but  even  this  was  too  many.  God  spoke  to  Gideon. 

“  There  are  too  many  people  in  your  forces,”  he  said. 
“  If  the  army  is  so  large  as  this,  they  will  think  that  the 
glory  is  their  own,  and  not  mine.  Send  home  all  those  who 
are  afraid !  ” 

Now  you  can  see  why  this  place  where  the  Israelites  were 
encamped  was  called  later  by  a  word  meaning  “  Cowards’ 
Creek.”  For  when  Gideon  repeated  God’s  message  to  the 
people,  twenty-two  thousand  of  them  went  home !  There 
were  only  ten  thousand  brave  men  left  in  the  army  of  Israel ! 

But  God  spoke  to  Gideon  again.  “  There  are  still  too 
many  men,”  he  said.  “  Test  them  out  again,  and  I  will  show 
you  the  men  to  choose.” 


393 


394 


JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 


The  ten  thousand  men  were  led  down  to  the  water.  They 
were  told  to  drink.  Some  of  them  knelt  down  by  the  stream 
and  drank,  without  thought  of  danger.  Others  dipped  their 
hands  in  the  water  and  drank  from  the  palm  quickly,  so 
that  they  were  ready  for  whatever  happened,  just  as  a  dog 
laps  water  while  always  ready  and  alert  for  a  call  from  his 
master.  There  were  three  hundred  of  these  men,  who  were 
alert  and  watchful.  God  told  Gideon  that  it  was  with  these 
three  hundred  men  that  he  was  to  attack  the  great  host  of 
the  Midianites.  All  the  other  men  were  sent  away. 

It  must  have  seemed  a  hard  thing  to  Gideon  to  obey  God. 


His  little  force  of  three  hundred  men  was  brave,  but  the 
Midianites  were  “  like  locusts  for  multitude ;  and  their 
camels  were  without  number,  as  the  sand  which  is  upon  the 
sea-shore  for  multitude.”  Gideon  must  have  been  troubled, 
but  again  God  spoke  to  him.  “  Take  your  servant  and  go 
into  the  camp  of  the  Midianites,”  God  said,  “  and  hear  what 
they  say.  Afterwards  the  host  of  the  Midianites  shall  be 
delivered  into  thine  hand.” 

Gideon  and  his  servant  stole  through  the  enemies  camp. 
One  of  the  soldiers  was  talking  and  telling  a  companion  of 
a  dream.  It  was  a  queer  dream,  for  he  thought  that  a 
barley  loaf  had  tumbled  into  the  army  of  the  Midianites  and 
had  overturned  a  tent. 


JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 


395 


“  The  barley  loaf  means  Gideon,  the  son  of  Joash,”  ex¬ 
plained  the  second  man.  “His  force  is  going  to  defeat  our 
force.  God  has  delivered  the  Midianites  into  his  hands.” 

When  Gideon  heard  these  words,  his  courage  was  re¬ 
newed.  He  worshiped  God  again,  and  God  once  more  prom¬ 
ised  him  help.  He  returned  to  his  little  force  with  a  new 
plan.  He  divided  them  into  three  companies  of  a  hundred 
each.  To  each  man  he  gave  a  trumpet  and  a  pitcher  in 
which  was  a  torch.  Then  he  ordered  them  to  follow  him 
and  to  do  what  he  did,  shouting  the  war  cry,  “  The  sword  of 
Jehovah  and  of  Gideon  !  ” 

Then,  just  as  the  Midianites  were  changing  guard  in  the 
middle  of  the  night,  the  little  host  of  Israelites  stole  upon 
them.  Their  torches  were  hidden  in  the  pitchers.  At  a  sig¬ 
nal  from  Gideon,  they  blew  their  trumpets,  all  together. 
With  a  mighty  crash  they  broke  their  pitchers,  and,  raising 
the  torches  high  in  their  left  hands  and  holding  the  trumpets 
in  the  right,  they  moved  forward  with  a  mighty  shout,  “  The 
sword  of  Jehovah  and  of  Gideon.” 

So  great  was  the  noise  and  the  surprise  that  the  Midianites 
fled  in  a  panic.  Not  waiting  to  see  how  small  a  force  had 
attacked  them  they  ran  away,  crying  with  terror.  Gideon 
and  his  men  pursued  them.  Other  men  from  northern  Israel 
joined  them  until  a  great  victory  was  won  by  the  Israelites 
and  the  enemy  had  been  driven  from  the  land. 

The  joy  of  the  people  of  Israel  in  this  victory  was  so  great 
that  they  wanted  to  make  Gideon  king.  But  Gideon  was 
God’s  man.  He  knew  that  God  was  King  over  Israel,  so  he 
refused.  “  I  will  not  rule  over  you,”  he  said.  “  The  Lord 
shall  rule  over  you.” 

Though  Gideon  refused  to  be  king,  he  acted  as  a  judge  of 
the  people.  For  forty  years  he  judged  them,  and  the  land 
was  at  peace.  But  it  came  to  pass  that  as  soon  as  he  was 
dead,  the  people  of  Israel  forgot  God’s  goodness  to  them. 
Again,  as  they  had  done  so  often  before,  they  turned  from 
the  worship  of  the  true  God  to  the  gods  of  the  heathen ;  they 
walked  once  more  in  the  paths  of  wickedness. 

Handwork 

From  modeling  clay,  make  a  “  pitcher,”  such  as  you  im- 


396 


JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 


agine  that  Gideon  and  his  men  carried.  Then  place  in  it  a 
“  torch,”  made  of  a  toothpick  or  other  small  bit  of  wood. 

Represent  on  the  sand  table  the  scene  of  the  battle.  Make 
paper  tents  for  the  encampment  of  the  Midianites.  These 
should  be  of  dark  paper,  for  the  tents  of  Eastern  people,  you 
remember,  are  made  of  skins.  Put  the  encampment  of  the 
Israelites,  with  its  few  tents,  at  a  suitable  distance,  and  show 
how  the  attack  was  made. 

Map  Work  and  Notebook  Work 

Copy  the  map  of  the  scene  of  the  battle  in  your  notebooks, 
and  write  the  story  of  the  victory  of  Gideon  and  his  three 
hundred. 


Expressional  Activity 

If  you  have  an  opportunity  this  week  to  do  something  that 
it  is  hard  for  you  to  do,  but  that  is  your  duty,  do  it  with  all 
your  might  and  main,  trusting  that  God  will  help  you. 

Memory  Work 

Learn  the  verses,  “  Boy  Wanted,”  which  are  printed  on 
page  390  ;  or  this  poem  : 

“  Dare  to  do  right !  Dare  to  be  true ! 

You  have  a  work  tha^  no  other  can  do; 

Do  it  so  bravely,  so  kindly,  so  well 
Angels  will  hasten  the  story  to  tell. 

“  Dare  to  do  right !  Dare  to  be  true  ! 

Other  men’s  failures  can  never  save  you. 

Stand  by  your  conscience,  your  honor,  your  faith  * 

Stand  like  a  hero  and  battle  till  death.” 


SUNDAY  SESSION 

THE  BRAMBLE  BUSH  KING 
Judges  9:6-21 

The  Memory  Verse 

“  Jehovah  of  hosts, 

He  is  the  King  of  glory.” 

Psalm  24  :10. 


JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS  397 

The:  Lesson  Story 

Gideon  was  a  judge  in  Israel  for  many  years,  and  during 
his  lifetime  the  people  of  Israel  had  peace.  But  as  soon  as 
he  was  dead,  they  began  again  to  turn  aside  from  the  wor¬ 
ship  of  the  true  God.  The  people  of  Shechem — the  place 
where  so  many  wonderful  things  had  happened  in  the  his¬ 
tory  of  Israel — were  among  the  first  to  wish  for  a  change. 

Gideon  had  many  sons  and  daughters.  One  of  these  sons 
was  Abimelech,  whose  mother  had  been  a  native  of  Shechem. 
The  Shechemites  planned  to  make  Abimelech  king.  They 
gave  him  money  and  he  hired  a  force  of  men.  With  these 
men,  he  went  to  Ophrah,  whe^e  he  killed  all  his  brothers, 
with  the  exception  of  one — Jotham,  who  managed  in  some 
way  to  escape.  Then  Abimelech  returned  to  Shechem,  and 
there,  in  that  place  where  Jacob  had  raised  an  altar  to  the 
true  God,  so  long  before,  Genesis  33:18-20,  where  Joshua 
had  gathered  the  people  together  at  the  assemblage  where 
they  promised  to  serve  the  Lord,  Joshua,  chapter  24, 
Abimelech  was  made  king ! 

Shechem,  you  remember,  was  situated  between  two1  moun¬ 
tains,  Gerizim  and  Ebal,  the  mountains  of  the  blessings  and 
the  cursings,  Deuteronomy  11  :29 ;  Joshua  8:33,  34.  Words 
spoken  in  these  mountains  carry  far,  and  it  has  been  found 
by  experiment  in  modern  times  that  words  spoken  on  Mount 
Gerizim  slowly  and  plainly  can  be  heard  in  Shechem.  When 
Jotham,  the  son  of  Gideon,  heard  that  his  brother  Abimelech 
had  been  made  king,  he  suddenly  appeared  on  a  great  bluff 
of  Mount  Gerizim.  He  spoke  to  the  people  in  a  clear  \oice, 
which  reached  them  plainly.  As  they  listened  in  amazement 
he  told  them  a  story — a  fable,  such  as  people  in  the  East  like 
even  to-day. 

“  Hear  me,  men  of  Shechem,”  he  said,  “  if  you  would  have 
God  hear  you.” 

“  Once  upon  a  time  the  trees  decided  to  have  a  king.  They 
went  to  the  olive  tree  and  asked  it  to  be  their  king.  But  the 
olive  tree  refused.  ‘  Should  I  refuse  my  fruit,  which  is  of 
such  great  use  to  men,’  it  asked,  ‘  in  order  to  rule  over  the 
trees  ?  ’ 

“  The  trees  went  then  to  the  fig  tree.  ‘  Come  and  reign 


398 


JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 


over  us,’  they  said.  But  the  fig  tree  answered,  ‘  Shall  I  give 
up  my  fruit  to  reign  over  you?  ’ 

“  Then  the  trees  asked  the  vine  to  be  their  king.  But  the 
vine,  too,  refused  to  give  up  its  usefulness  to  man  in  order  to 
be  the  king  of  the  trees. 

“  Then  they  went  to  the  bramble  bush  with  their  request. 
The  bramble  bush  is  of  no  use  at  all  in  the  world.  It  is  only 
a  little  bush.  But  it  was  very  haughty  when  the  trees 
came  to  it. 

“  ‘  I  will  be  your  king.'  it  said,  *  if  you  will  come  and  trust 
in  my  shade.  If  not,  let  fire  come  and  burn  all  the  great 
trees  of  the  forest.’  ” 

Then  Jotham  showed  the  people  what  his  fable  meant. 

His  father,  Gideon,  who  was  a  great  and  strong  man,  had 
refused  to  be  king  of  the  people  of  Israel,  whose  true  King 
was  God.  Now  they  had  chosen  Abimelech  as  king — a  man 
who  would  do  them  no  more  good  than  the  bramble-bush 
king  would  do  the  trees. 

Then,  with  a  mocking  wish  that  they  might  have  joy  in 
their  choice  of  a  ruler,  Jotham  turned  and  disappeared 
among  the  rocks. 

And  Abimeleclrs  reign  was  a  failure.  He  never  became 
king  of  all  Israel,  but  only  of  the  people  of  Shechem  and 
their  neighbors.  Things  got  worse  and  worse,  and  finally 
the  citizens  of  Shechem  rebelled.  There  was  a  fight  in  which 
Abimelech  treacherouslv  killed  many  people,  but  was  himself 
finally  killed.  He  had  been  an  untrue  leader  of  his  people — 
one  who  had  tried  to  lead  when  he  was  unfit  for  leadership. 
Like  the  bramble-bush  king,  he  was  too  conceited  about  him¬ 
self  to  know  that  he  could  not  be  a  worthy  leader  of  his 
peoole.  He  did  not  trust  in  God  and  ask  his  help.  He  made 
a  failure  as  Jotham  foretold  in  his  fable  of  the  bramble-bush 
king. 

Putting  the:  Lesson  Into  the  Liee  oe  the  Class 

If  you  want  to  be  a  true  leader  of  others,  you  must  pre¬ 
pare  for  such  leadership,  and  be  sure  that  you  are  the  very 
best  person  in  the  group  to  be  the  leader. 

If  you  want  to  be  a  true  leader,  you  must  not  be  so  con¬ 
ceited  about  yourself  that  you  forget  what  others  can  do,  too. 


JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 


399 


Sometimes  a  real  leader  is  not  the  person  who  “  shows 
off  ”  most,  but  the  person  who  works  quietly  for  the  good 
of  his  group.  The  boy  who  makes  a  long  run  in  a  football 
team  is  a  hero  at  the  time,  but  often  the  real  leader  is  a  boy 
who  practices  steadily  and  encourages  all  the  rest,  even 
though  he  may  not  “  show  off  ”  in  the  game. 

Who  is  the  leader  in  your  group  of  girls?  Is  she  a 
bramble-bush  queen,  or  is  she  a  girl  who  works  for  the  good 
of  all  the  group  as  did  the  olive  tree  and  the  fig  tree  and  the 
vine  in  Jotham’s  fable? 


The  Lesson  Truth  in  Your  Life 

Resolved  that  I  will  be  a  true  leader,  one  who  works  for 
the  good  of  all  and  not  merely  one  who  wants  to  show  off, 
but  is  really  only  a  “  bramble-bush  king.” 


Shechem 

A  drive  of  another  hour  or  two  .  .  .  brings  us  to  the 
eastern  slope  of  Mount  Gerizim,  in  Samaria.  Before  us  is 
Mount  Ebal,  rising  to  a  height  of  twenty-eight  hundred  feet 
— two  hundred  higher  than  Gerizim — and  between  the  two 
is  the  most  beautiful  valley  in  Palestine,  the  Vale  of 
Shechem,  which  here,  at  right  angles,  joins  the  great  Valley 
of  Mukhria,  up  which  we  have  driven. 

We  are  now  in  the  center  of  Samaria.  Two  miles  to  our 
left  up  the  valley  lies  Shechem,  now  called  Nablous,  a  cor¬ 
ruption  of  Neapolis ;  it  is  situated  in  the  tribe  of  Ephraim, 
and  is  still  a  large  town  on  the  northern  slope  of  Gerizim ; 
it  has  no  less  than  eighty  springs  of  water,  giving  a  wonder¬ 
ful  fertility  to  the  valley  in  which  it  stands,  which  is  full  of 
flowers,  green  verdure,  growing  crops,  and  abundant  fruit  of 
all  sorts  ;  soft  mists  rise  before  the  glowing  heat  of  the  day, 
and  nightingales  and  other  birds  sing  in  the  woods. 

Just  above  the  city  the  two  mountains  approach  so  near, 
and  have  such  acoustic  properties,  that,  as  has  been  proved, 
a  voice  carries  across  with  great  £ase. 

From  “  Where  He  Dwelt,”  by  Alfred  T.  ScitoEi-Eld. 


400 


PRIMARY  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 


EXPRESSIONAL  SESSION 

THE  QUALITIES  OF  A  TRUE  LEADER 

John  16:13;  Philippians  4:8;  II  Timothy  2:14 

Suggestions  tor  the  Leader's  Opening  Address 

During  the  last  few  weeks  we  have  been  learning  much 
about  the  leaders  of  the  people  of  Israel.  We  have  learned 
that  M  oses,  the  great  leader  from  Egypt,  was  a  man  noted 
for  his  meekness;  that  Joshua  was  a  strong  and  courageous 
man  in  the  Lord ;  that  Deborah  and  Barak  and  Gideon  all 
were  brave  because  God  helped  them  to  be  brave ;  that  Abi- 
melech  proved  a  poor  leader  because  he  did  not  turn  to  God. 
We  have  a  Model,  a  Leader,  whom  those  men  of  Old  Testa¬ 
ment  times  did  not  have,  the  Holy  Spirit,  who  came  to  Jesus’ 
followers  on  the  Day  of  Pentecost — a  Leader  who  would 
guide  them  into  all  truth.  And  under  his  guidance  we,  too, 
can  become  leaders,  workmen  approved  of  God.  as  Paul  told 
Timothy  that  he  should  he.  In  writing  to  the  church  at 
Philippi,  Paul  told  the  people  some  of  the  ways  in  which 
they  could  please  God,  and  so  prepare  themselves  for  lead- 
ersl.ip  of  others  in  the  right  paths.  Let  us  all  read  together 
Philippians  4  :8,  to  see  what  Paul  says  about  preparing  our¬ 
selves  for  God’s  work. 

The  Class  Prayer 

Our  Father  in  heaven,  help  us  to  prepare  to  help  in  thy 
work,  to  be  leaders  for  thee,  even  while  we  are  only  Juniors. 
Help  us  to  be  workmen  pleasing  to  thee.  Give  us  thy  Holy 
Spirit,  whom  thou  hast  promised  to  send  as  our  guide.  We 
ask  these  things  in  the  name  of  Jesus.  Amen. 

Verses  for  Use  in  the  Meeting 

Psalm  27  :1 1  ;  37  :5  ;  Joshua  1  :8 ;  Proverbs  3  :4 ;  21b-23. 

Hymns  that  May  Be  Used  in  Connection 
with  the  Meeting 

The  hymns  that  have  been  used  with  the  last  few  lessons. 


JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 


401 


Questions  for  Use  in  the  Meeting 

1.  What  are  some  of  the  qualities  of  a  true  leader? 

2.  How  can  you  best  develop  these  qualities  ? 

3.  Is  a  leader  always  successful  from  the  world’s  point 
of  view  ? 

4.  Was  Christ,  the  greatest  Leader  whom  the  world  has 
ever  known,  successful  from  the  world’s  point  of  view? 

5.  How  can  Juniors  develop  the  qualities  of  a  true 
leader  ? 

6.  Is  it  necessary  to  push  oneself  forward  to  leadership? 

Topics  for  Discussion  or  Reports 

1.  The  Qualities  of  a  True  Leader. 

(a)  Knowledge. 

(b)  Will  Power. 

(c)  Perseverance. 

(d)  Modesty. 

(e)  Cooperation. 

(f)  Dependableness. 

(g)  Perseverance. 

(h)  Generosity. 

2.  The  Greatest  of  All  Leaders. 


To  Read  in  the  Meeting 

“  Great  people  who  are  great  leaders  set  us  examples  so 
vivid  and  thrilling  that  we  in  our  little  way  wish  to  be  leaders 
too.  Leadership  holds  down  all  our  low  instincts  and  brings 
forth  our  better  emotions.  The  more  we  develop  our  lead¬ 
ership,  the  more  we  love  our  fellow  men.” 

“  Let  us  now  praise  famous  men,  and  our  fathers.  .  .  . 
The  Lord  manifested  in  them  great  glory,  even  his  mighty 
power  from  the  beginning.  .  .  .  Leaders  of  the  people  by 
their  counsels,  and  bv  their  understanding,  men  of  learning 
for  the  people :  wise  were  their  words  in  their  instructions 
.  .  .  their  glorv  shall  not  be  blotted  out.  .  .  .  Peoples  will 
declare  their  wisdom,  and  the  congregation  letteth  out  their 
praise.” — Ecclesiasticus,  chapter  44. 

Tesus  Christ,  the  great  Leader,  is  the  Example  whom  we 
should  all  follow. 


402 


JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 
“  The  King  Says  We  Must  Wake  Up  ” 

By  JOHN  WANAMAKER 

An  unsuccessful  clerk  or  business  man  does  not  need  to 
look  far  for  the  cause  of  his  trouble.  It  is  generally  in  him¬ 
self  or  herself.  It  may  he  one  of  this  dozen  of  little  things, 
that  are  not  little  things : 

1.  He  forgets  that  his  worth  is  manifest  by  what  he  pro¬ 
duces  in  management  or  sales. 

2.  He  finds  excuses  for  not  doing,  instead  of  finding 
ways  to  do  what  should  he  done. 

3.  The  world  goes  ahead  in  almost  every  direction,  and 
he  keeps  on  the  humdrum  turnpike  where  somebody  will 
have  to  pay  the  tolls. 

4.  He  is  not  observant,  accurate,  or  thoughtful. 

5.  He  is  sailing  bv  the  broken  compass  of  chance. 

6.  He  hatters  himself  by  comparing  in  his  own  mirror, 
instead  of  with  others  that  have  passed  him  in  the  race. 

7.  He  thinks  nobody  notices  that  he  has  fallen  behind. 

8.  He  does  not  love  his  work  as  he  used  to,  and  therefore 
his  enthusiasms  have  been  lost. 

9.  He  puts  off  too  many  things  until  to-morrow. 

10.  He  is  unconscious  of  being  idle  much  of  his  time, 
and  lets  the  day  go  by  lacking  results  he  could  have  attained. 

11.  His  lack  of  thoroughness  blocks  his  leadership. 

12.  However  honorable,  he  fails  to  realize  that  his  ex¬ 
ample  affects  others. 

When  King  George  of  England  came  back  from  Australia 
just  before  his  coronation  as  king,  he  called  the  leading  busi¬ 
ness  men  into  the  old  Guild  Hall  of  London,  and  told  them 
they  must  WAKE  UP,  or  their  provinces  would  get  ahead 
of  them  in  the  Mother  Country. 

In  hundreds  of  places  in  the  business  parts  of  London, 
during  the  coronation  ceremonies,  great  electric  signs  in 
color  stood  out  saying : 


“  The  King  Says  We  Must  WAKE  UP.” 


CHAPTER  XL 
WEEK  DAY  SESSION 

A  STRONG  MAN  WITH  A  WEAK  WILL 
Judges  chapters  13,  14 
The:  Memory  Verse 

“Prove  all  things;  hold  fast  that  which  is  good;  abstain 
from  every  form  of  evil.” — I  Thessalonians  5:21,  22. 

The  Lesson  Story 

Abimelech,  the  son  of  Gideon,  was  not  a  ruler  of  a  large 
part  of  Palestine.  Only  a  very  few  people  acknowledged 
him  as  king.  Most  of  the  Israelites  were  still  governed  by 
judges.  We  have  the  names  of  several  judges,  though  very 
little  is  told  us  about  them. 

1.  Tola,  a  man  of  Issachar,  who  judged  Israel  for 
twenty-three  years. 

2.  Jair,  the  Gileadite.  Jair  judged  Israel  for  twenty-two 
years. 

3.  Jephthah,  who  was  also  a  Gileadite.  Jephthah  won 
great  victories  over  the  Ammonites  for  Israel.  He  was  a 
judge  for  six  years. 

4.  Ibzan  of  Bethlehem  judged  Israel  for  seven  years. 

5.  Eeon  was  a  judge  for  ten  years. 

6.  Abdon  was  a  judge  for  eHht  years. 

The  Book  of  Judges  tells  us  very  little  about  these  men. 
But  it  does  tell  us  over  and  over  that  “  the  children  of  Israel 
again  did  'hat  which  was  evil  in  the  sight  of  Jehovah.” 
Over  and  over  again  they  forgot  his  great  kindness  to  them, 
and  turned  to  the  worship  of  idols.  After  one  of  these 
times,  God  allowed  them  to  fall  into  the  power  of  the  Philis¬ 
tines,  who  ruled  over  them  for  forty  years. 

The  Philistines  were  a  people  who  lived  southwest  of  the 
Israelites.  It  was  from  their  name  that  the  land  was  called 


403 


404 


JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 


“  Palestine.  ’  The  land  which  they  held  reached  to  the  Medi¬ 
terranean  Sea.  It  was  only  about  fifty  miles  long  and  fifteen 
miles  wide,  but  there  were  five  important  cities  in  ancient 
times.  Of  these  cities,  Gaza  is  still  a  large  place.  Ekron 
and  Ashdod  are  little  villages.  Ashkelon  is  in  ruins,  and  no 
one  knows  where  the  city  of  Gath  was  situated. 

At  the  time  when  the  Israelites  were  in  the  power  of  the 
Philistines,  there  lived  in  Zorah,  a  town  in  Judah,  a  man 
named  Manoah  and  his  wife.  Like  Zacharias  and  Elisabeth, 
in  New  Testament  times  a  thousand  years  later,  they  were 
good  people,  but  they  had  no  children.  You  remember  how 
an  angel  appeared  to  Zacharias,  and  told  him  of  the  coming 
of  the  baby  John,  who  became  John  the  Baptist.  So  an  angel 
appeared  to  Manoah’s  wife,  and  told  her  that  to  her  and 
Manoah  there  should  be  born  a  son,  who  would  “  begin  to 
save  Israel  out  of  the  hand  of  the  Philistines.”  Like  John 
the  Baptist,  this  baby  was  to  be  a  Nazirite — that  is,  he  should 
take  certain  vows  to  God ;  he  should  never  drink  wine ;  his 
hair  should  never  be  cut. 

In  time  the  angel’s  message  was  carried  out.  A  son  was 
born  to  Manoah  and  his  wife,  whom  they  named  “  Samson.” 

Samson  grew  to  be  a  very  strong  young  man  in  body.  He 
was  also  very  quick-witted  and  bright. 

One  day  he  went  into  the  land  of  the  Philistines.  And 
there  he  fell  in  love  with  a  maiden  of  the  Philistines.  He 
told  his  parents  about  this,  and  they  went  to  the  city  of 
Timnah  where  the  maiden  lived,  to  arrange  about  the  mar¬ 
riage.  Samson  was  some  distance  behind  his  parents  as  they 
journeyed.  A  lion  suddenly  attacked  him,  and  he  killed  the 
beast  with  his  bare  hands.  He  did  not  mention  his  deed  even 
to  his  father  and  mother.  The  next  time  he  went  by  the 
place  he  stopped  to  look  at  the  body  of  the  animal,  and  found 
that  there  was  a  swarm  of  bees  in  the  body,  and  honey.  He 
took  some  of  this,  and  gave  it  to  his  father  and  mother  also. 

At  the  wedding  feast,  as  was  the  custom  in  those  days,  the 
guests  amused  themselves  bv  asking  riddles.  When  Sam¬ 
son’s  turn  came,  he  had  made  up  a  riddle  about  the  honey 
which  he  had  found  in  the  carcass  of  the  lion. 

“  Let  me  now  put  forth  a  riddle  unto  you,”  he  said.  “If 
you  can  tell  me  the  answer  within  seven  days,  I  will  give 


JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 


405 

you  thirty  linen  garments  and  thirty  changes  of  raiment.  If 
you  cannot  tell  me,  you  shall  give  me  thirty  linen  garments 
and  thirty  changes  of  raiment.” 

“  Tell  us  the  riddle,  and  we  shall  try  to  guess  it,”  answered 
the  Philistines. 

Then  Samson  told  them  his  riddle : 

‘‘  Out  of  the  eater  came  forth  food, 

And  out  of  the  strong  came  forth  sweetness/’ 

For  three  days  the  Philistines  tried  to  guess  the  answer 
to  this  riddle,  but  they  did  not  succeed.  Then,  on  the  sev¬ 
enth  day,  the  friends  of  Samson’s  wife  urged  her  to  find  out 
the  answer.  She  coaxed  her  husband  until  he  told  her,  and 
of  course  she  proved  false  to  him,  and  told  her  friends. 

So,  just  before  the  sun  went  down  on  the  last  day  of  the 
test,  the  Philistines  called  Samson,  and  told  him  the  answer 
to  his  riddle  which  they  had  obtained  by  cheating. 

“  What  is  sweeter  than  honey  ?  and  what  is  stronger  than 
a  lion  ?  ”  they  asked. 

Samson  knew  at  once  that  he  had  been  deceived.  Pie  was 
very  angry. »  He  left  Timnah  and  went  to  Ashkelon,  another 
of  the  cities  of  the  Philistines.  There  he  killed  thirty  men, 
whose  garments  he  took  and  gave  to  the  wedding  guests  in 
payment  of  his  wager.  Then  he  returned  to  his  father’s 
home.  No  longer  would  he  have  any  friendly  dealings  with 
the  Philistines. 


Handwork 

Draw  a  map  of  the  land  of  the  Philistines  in  your  note¬ 
book,  and  mark  the  five  principal  cities.  You  will  find  such 
a  map  to  copy  in  your  Bible. 

Notebook  Work 

Start  the  story  of  Samson’s  early  life  in  your  notebook. 
Call  this  part  Chapter  I,  and  illustrate  it  with  a  small  pic¬ 
ture  of  Samson’s  fight  with  the  lion.  Fill  in  the  names  of 
the  judges  in  the  scroll  which  vou  started  with  Chapter 
XXXVII. 


406  JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 

Expressionae  Activity 

As  you  think  of  Samson  in  this  lesson,  what  was  his  great¬ 
est  fault?  Try  to  avoid  that  fault  this  week. 

Memory  Work 

The  Great  English  Poet,  Milton  wrote  a  long  poem  about 
Samson.  Learn  these  lines  from  this  poem: 

What  is  strength  without  a  double  share 
Of  wisdom?  Vast,  unwieldy,  burthensome, 

Proudly  secure,  yet  liable  to  fall 

By  weakest  subtleties,  not  made  to  rule 

But  to  subserve  where  wisdom  bears  command. 


SUNDAY  SESSION 

A  LEADER  WLIO  FAILED 
Judges,  chapters  15,  16 
The  Memory  Verse 

“  He  that  walketh  in  a  perfect  way,  he  shall  minister  unto 
me.” — Psalm  101  :6b. 

The  Lesson  Story 

After  Samson  had  slain  the  thirty  men  of  Ashkelon,  there 
was  always  hatred  between  him  and  the  Philistines.  Always 
he  was  trying  to  do  them  injury;  always  they  were  trying  to 
capture  him.  At  length  the  time  came  when  the  Philistine 
rulers  forced  the  men  of  Judah  to  give  up  their  countryman. 
Three  thousand  of  them  came  to  him,  and  he  allowed  them 
to  bind  him  with  two  strong  new  ropes,  and  hand  him  over 
to  the  enemy. 

But  God  helped  Samson ;  he  gave  him  strength  against  his 
enemies.  He  broke  the  ropes  as  easily  as  if  they  had  been 
charred  and  burned.  He  seized  the  only  weapon  at  hand — 
the  jawbone  of  an  ass — and  rushed  at  the  Philistines.  They 
fled  before  him,  and  he  killed  a  thousand  of  them,  shouting 
as  he  slew  them : 


JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 


407 


‘‘With  the  jawbone  of  an  ass,  heaps  upon  heaps, 

With  the  jawbone  of  an  ass  have  I  smitten  a  thousand  men.” 

After  these  words,  he  threw  down  the  jawbone  to  the 
ground,  and  called  upon  God,  for  he  was  worn  out  and 
thirsty.  And  in  answer  to  his  cry,  God  caused  water  to 
spring  from  the  ground.  At  the  time  when  the  Book  of 
Judges  was  written,  the  spring  was  still  in  existence.  God 
was  with  Samson  in  his  battles  for  him. 

For  twenty  years  after  this  battle  between  Samson  and 
the  Philistines,  Samson  judged  Israel.  Then  he  showed  his 
reckless  spirit  once  more.  He  went  right  into  the  land  of 
the  Philistines,  to  the  city  of  Gaza.  The  citizens  knew  of 
his  presence.  They  laid  wait  for  him  at  the  gate  of  the  city, 
but  he  took  hold  of  the  gate,  and  carried  it  off  by  main 
strength.  He  was  still  the  strong  man  of  God,  for  always  it 
was  God  who  gave  him  the  strength  to  light  so  successfully 
with  his  enemies. 

Again  the  Philistines  tried  to-  get  the  better  of  Samson. 
He  loved  a  woman  named  Delilah.  The  Philistines  per¬ 
suaded  her  to  try  to  get  from  him  the  secret  of  his  strength. 
And  as  in  the  case  of  his  Philistine  bride,  he  allowed  him¬ 
self  to  be  persuaded  to  tell  what  should  have  been  a  secret — 
that  his  great  strength  lay  in  his  long  hair,  which  he  wore  in 
this  way  because  of  his  Nazirite  vow.  If  this  should  be  cut, 
his  strength  would  be  gone !  Delilah,  like  the  other  Philis¬ 
tine  maiden,  told  his  enemy  what  he  had  said.  She  herself 
cut  his  hair  as  he  lay  asleep.  She  called  in  the  enemy,  and 
they  took  him  captive.  Poor  Samson  had  again  talked  too 
much!  He  had  betrayed  his  secrets  to  his  enemies.  (Of 
course  Samson’s  strength  did  not  lie  in  his  hair ;  but  God 
knew  that  a  man  with  such  a  weak  will  could  never  be  a  true 
leader  for  his  people.  So  God  allowed  him  to  be  conquered.) 

The  Philistines  put  out  Samson’s  eyes.  They  put  him  in 
prison  where  he  ground  grain  for  them.  And  there  he  had 
time  to  think.  He  repented  his  sins.  He  regretted  that  he 
had  not  been  a  true  leader  to  the  people  of  Israel.  And,  as 
his  hair  began  to  grow,  God  gave  him  back  his  strength. 
He  was  as  powerful  as  ever,  though  his  Philistine  masters 
did  not  know  this.  He  had  learned  to  keep  a  secret.  He 
was  waiting  his  chance, 


408 


JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 


One  day  the  Philistines  planned  a  great  festivity  in  honor 
of  the  fish  god,  Dagon,  whom  they  worshiped.  The  building 
was  filled  with  men  and  women.  Upon  the  roof  there  were 
about  three  thousand  people. 

Some  one  thought  of  calling  for  Samson  to  entertain  them. 

“  Bring  in  the  destroyer  of  our  country,”  they  cried. 
“  Call  for  Samson,  that  he  may  make  us  sport.” 

A  lad  led  poor,  blind  Samson,  whom  they  thought  so 
powerless,  into  the  hall.  He  must  have  raised  a  quick 
prayer  to  God.  He  asked  the  boy  to  lead  him  to  the  pillars 
which  supported  the  roof  of  the  building,  saying  that  he 
wanted  to  lean  against  them. 

And  then  he  said  another  prayer.  He  took  hold  of  the 
two  middle  pillars,  and  prayed  silently,  “  Let  me  die  with 
the  Philistines.” 

“  And  he  bowed  himself  with  all  his  might;  and  the  house 
fell  upon  the  lords,  and  upon  all  the  people  that  were  therein. 
So  the  dead  that  he  slew  at  his  death  were  more  than  they 
that  he  slew  in  his  life.  Then  his  brethren  and  all  the  house 
of  his  father  came  down,  and  took  him,  and  brought  him  up, 
and  buried  him.” 

So  God  gave  power  to,  Samson,  “  the  strong  man  with  a 
weak  will.”  He  made  up  for  his  shortcomings  by  the  way  in 
which  he  died,  L.avely,  for  God  and  his  people. 

Putting  the  Lesson  Into  the  Life  oe  the  Class 

Samson’s  will  was  weak,  and  so  he  failed  as  a  leader.  He 
was  too  easily  persuaded  to  do  wrong.  Gradually  his  will 
grew  weaker  and  weaker,  until  he  lost  everything  because  he 
was  weak  in  will  although  he  was  strong  in  body. 

When  Samson  was  a  young  man  he  yielded  to  temptation, 
and  insisted  on  having  his  own  way.  As  he  grew  older  he 
could  not  change  the  habits  of  years. 

The  strongest  boy  in  the  school  may  be  kept  off  the  foot¬ 
ball  team  because  he  yields  to  the  temptation  of  smoking 
cigarettes.  He  is  too  weak  to  refuse  those  who  urge  him  to 
smoke  with  them,  although  he  wants  very  much  to  play  on 
the  team. 

Marion  wants  to  go  to  the  party  on  Wednesday,  but  in 
spite  of  mother’s  advice,  she  will  nibble  at  candy  all  the  day 


JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 


409 


before.  She  cannot  go  to  the  party  because  she  is  ill.  She 
has  yielded  to  temptation,  and  must  suffer  for  it. 

Poffy’s  mother  has  told  her  that  she  must  not  talk  about 
the  chance  of  a  new  position  for  father  until  it  is  sure.  But 
Polly  tells  her  dearest  friend,  Marie,  and  Marie  tells  Susanne, 
and  soon  Susanne’s  father  knows,  and  everyone  else  in  the 
town.  Polly’s  father  almost  loses  the  chance  of  the  position 
because  Polly  has  talked  too  much.  Did  you  ever  do  any¬ 
thing  like  that  ? 

The  Lesson  Truth  in  Your  Life 

I  will  ask  God  to  give  me  not  only  a  strong  body  and  a 
strong  mind,  but  also  a  will  that  is  strong  for  the  right.  I 
will  do  God’s  work  with  all  my  strength  and  my  mind  and 
my  will,  and  try  to  be  a  strong  leader  for  the  right. 

Notebook  Work 

Write  in  your  notebook  Chapter  II  of  the  “  Story  of  a 
Strong  Man  with  a  Weak  Will."  See  if  you  cannot  find  for 
an  illustration  a  small  picture  of  Samson  pulling  down  the 
gates  of  the  Philistine  temple. 


EXPRESSIONAL  SESSION 

A  SECOND  CHANCE 

John  13:21-30;  Matthew  27:1-8;  Acts  13:13;  II  Tim¬ 
othy  4:11. 

Suggestions  for  the  Leader's  Opening  Address 

In  our  last  lessons  we  have  been  learning  the  story  of 
Samson,  the  strong  man  with  a  weak  will.  But  though 
Samson  failed  as  a  leader  of  his  people,  he  was  sorry  for  his 
weakness,  and  God  gave  him  strength  again,  to  help  the 
Israelites.  In  New  Testament  times,  too,  there  were  records 
of  failures.  Peter  failed  Jesus  at  the  time  of  his  arrest,  by 
denying  him  three  times  in  the  palace  of  the  high  priest. 
But  Peter  was  truly  sorry  for  his  act,  and  later  he  showed 


410 


PRIMARY  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 


that  he  was  sorry  by  the  way  in  which  he  taught  about 
Jesus  and  his  life  and  death  and  resurrection.  He  had  a 
chance  to  show  his  repentance.  So  did  Mark,  the  writer  of 
the  Second  Gospel,  who  left  Paul  and  Barnabas  on  the  First 
Missionary  Journey,  but  later  made  good.  Samson  redeemed 
himself  ;  so  did  Peter  and  Mark.  But  Judas,  who  betrayed 
Jesus,  did  not  redeem  himself.  He  had  been  chosen  by  Jesus 
to  be  one  of  the  Twelve — one  of  the  Master’s  closest  com¬ 
panions.  But  he  lost  his  chance.  Pie  sinned  for  the  sake 
of  money.  And  then,  when  he  saw  what  he  had  done,  he  did 
not  try  to  right  the  wrong  by  his  life.  He  did  not  die  in  try¬ 
ing  to  make  up  for  his  wickedness  as  Samson  did;  or  live 
trying  to  make  up  for  his  fault  as  Peter  did.  He  gave  up, 
and  killed  himself.  Pie  lost  the  leadership  because  he  was 
weak,  and  yielded  to  the  temptation  of  money-getting. 
Everyone  in  the  world  makes  mistakes.  But  if  we  do  our 
very  best  to  right  those  mistakes,  God  will  help  us  “  If  we 
confess  our  sins,  he  is  faithful  and  righteous  to  forgive  us 
our  sins.”  Let  us  ask  God  to  help  us  as  he  helped  Peter, 
when  we  make  mistakes.  Let  us  ask  him  to  help  us  to  be 
leaders  in  our  turn,  in  the  paths  of  righteousness. 

The  Class  Prayer 

Our  Father  in  heaven,  we  ask  that  we  may  help  in  thy 
work  in  the  world.  Help  us  to  walk  in  the  paths  of  right¬ 
eousness.  We  ask  thy  help  in  this,  that  we  may  please  thee 
and  that  we  may  serve  others,  and  help  others  to  follow  thee. 
In  Jesus’  name.  Amen. 

Verses  for  Use  in  the  Meeting 

Ecclesiastes  10:9;  Isaiah  35:4a;  I  Corinthians  16:13; 
II  Corinthians  10:10;  12:9;  Ephesians  6:10;  Hebrews 
11  :32-34 ;  II  Timothy  2:1. 

Hymns  that  May  Be  Used  in  Connection 
with  the  Meeting 

“  Soldiers  of  Christ,  Arise.” 

“  Onward,  Christian  Soldiers.” 

“Forward!  Be  Our  Watchword.” 


JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 


411 


“  Stand  Up,  Stand  Up  for  Jesus.” 

“  Courage,  Brother.” 

“  True-Hearted,  Whole-Hearted.” 

OuESTIONS  FOR  USE  IN  THE  MEETING 

1.  What  mistake  did  Moses  make  which  almost  cost 
him  the  leadership  of  God's  people?  What  did  God  do 
about  this  ?  (Numbers  20  :10-12  ;  Deuteronomy  34  :4.) 

2.  Did  Joshua  ever  make  a  mistake  of  this  sort?  What 
was  it?  Joshua  9:14.  How  did  the  Israelites  have  to  suffer 
because  they  forgot  to  ask  God’s  counsel  in  this  matter? 

3.  Find  out  about  a  rash  promise  that  Jephthah  made. 
Judges  11:39,  31,  34-37. 

4.  Tell  the  story  of  Samson’s  weakness. 

5.  What  fault  did  the  Apostle  John,  in  New  Testament 
times,  have  to  conquer  in  order  to  become  a  leader  ?  Luke 
9 :54.  55  :  Mark  3  :17. 

6.  \\  hat  was  Peter’s  fault  ? 

7.  What  was  Judas’  fault? 

8.  What  is  your  fault  that  you  must  conquer,  in  order  to 
be  a  leader  for  God? 

Topics  for  Discussion  or  Reports 

SOME  MEN  OF  THE  BIBLE  WHO  AT  FIRST  MADE  MISTAKES,  BUT 
WHO  LATER  MADE  GOOD  AS  LEADERS  FOR  THE  RIGHT. 

(Find  out  something  about  each  of  these.) 

1.  Jacob. 

2.  Moses. 

3.  Peter. 

4.  John  9 lark. 

5.  John  the  Apostle. 

6.  Paul. 

7.  Matthew. 

SOME  MEN  OF  MORE  MODERN  TIMES  WHO  AT  FIRST  MADE 
MISTAKES  IN  THEIR  LIVES 

1.  John  B.  Gough. 

2.  Augustine. 


412 


JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 


3.  Luther. 

4.  Jerry  McAuley. 

JESUS  CHRIST,  THE  LEADER  WHO  NEVER  MADE  A  MISTAKE 

To  Read  in  the  Meeting 

We  must  not  be  discouraged  if  we  make  mistakes.  We 
must  ask  God  to  help  us  to  make  them  right,  and  to  avoid 
making  these  same  errors  a  second  time. 

“  Give  him  another  chance,  and  see 
Hew  beautiful  his  life  may  be.” 


If  you  can  talk  with  crowds  and  keep  your  virtue, 

Or  walk  with  kings — nor  lose  the  common  touch, 

If  neither  foes  nor  loving  friends  can  hurt  you, 

If  all  men  count  with  you,  but  none  too  much: 

If  you  can  fill  the  unforgiving  minute 

With  sixty  seconds’  worth  of  distance  run, 

Yours  is  the  earth  and  everything  that’s  in  it. 

And — what  is  more — you’ll  be  a  man,  my  son ! 

— Rudyard  Kipung. 


CHAPTER  XU 

WEEK  DAY  SESSION 

THE  STORY  OF  RUTH’S  CHOICE 
Ruth,  chapters  1,  2 
The  Memory  Verse 

“  But  now  abideth  faith,  hope,  love,  these  three ;  and  the 
greatest  of  these  is  love.” — I  Corinthians  13:13. 

The  Lesson  Story 

In  the  latter  part  of  the  period  of  the  Judges,  Palestine 
had  peace  for  a  time.  There  was  no  war  between  the  Israel¬ 
ites  and  their  enemies,  but  the  land,  which  had  been  overrun 
by  the  armies  of  the  foes  who  were  as  numerous  as  locusts, 
was  not  well  cultivated,  and  one  year  there  was  a  famine. 
There  was  no  grain  in  the  fields ;  the  pasturage  was  poor ; 
the  sheep  and  cattle  died. 

In  the  hill  town  of  Bethlehem  in  Judea,  there  lived  a  man 
named  Elimelech  and  his  wife  Naomi.  They  had  two  sons, 
Mahlon  and  Chilion. 

“  There  is  no  food  for  us  here  in  Bethlehem,”  said  Eli¬ 
melech  one  day.  “  I  do  not  know  what  to  do.” 

“  Perhaps  there  is  more  in  Israel  than  there  is  here  in  the 
southern  part  of  the  land,”  suggested  Naomi,  who  was 
always  cheerful  and  happy. 

But  Elimelech  shook  his  head.  “  No,”  he  said.  “  The 
famine  is  all  over  the  land  of  God’s  people.  But  I  hear  that 
there  is  grain  across  the  Salt  Sea,  in  Moab.” 

“  O  father,  let  us  go  to  Moab !  I  am  hungry !  ”  cried 
little  Mahlon. 

“  And  it  will  be  such  fun  to  see  the  country  as  we  travel !  ” 
said  Chilion. 

The  two  boys  were  eager  to  start  at  once.  Elimelech  and 
Naomi  looked  at  one  another. 


413 


414  JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 

“  Perhaps  it  would  be  a  good  thing  to  go  to  Moab,”  said 
the  father. 

“  I  think  God  wants  us  to  go,”  encouraged  Naomi. 

And  so  it  was  decided.  They  packed  up  their  household 
goods  and  put  them  on  the  little  donkey.  They  said  good-by 
to  their  neighbors  and  friends  and  started  on  their  way. 
How  happy  the  boys  were  as  the^  trudged  along  northeast 
until  they  came  to  the  Jordan  River!  They  crossed  the 
stream ;  and  then  they  turned  south  along  the  shores  of  the 
Dead  Sea  until  they  came  to  the  land  of  Moab. 


In  Moab,  as  they  had  heard,  there  was  plenty  to  eat,  but 
soon  the  father  died.  Mahlon  and  Chilion  were  almost 
grown  up  by  that  time.  Soon  after  their  father’s  death,  they 
were  married.  Mahlon  became  the  husband  of  a  Moabite 
maiden  named  Orpah ;  Chilion  married  Ruth. 

But  the  misfortunes  of  the  family  from  Bethlehem  had 
not  yet  come  to  an  end.  Mahlon  and  Chilion  both  died,  and 
Naomi  and  her  two  daughters-in-law  were  left  alone. 
Naomi  was  sad  and  lonesome.  The  people  of  Moab  wor¬ 
shiped  strange  gods.  She  was  homesick  for  her  friends  in 


JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 


415 


Bethlehem  and  the  worship  of  the  true  God.  She  decided 
to  go  back  to  her  old  home.  Ruth  and  Orpah  started  with 
her. 

Before  they  had  gone  far,  Naomi  advised  her  two 
daughters-in-law  to  go  back  to  their  parents’  homes.  She 
spoke  kindly  to  them,  and  blessed  them  for  their  kindness  to 
her.  Then  she  kissed  them,  and  Orpah,  though  she  did  not 
want  to  leave  Naomi,  turned  back,  weeping. 

But  Ruth  was  different  from  Orpah.  Naomi  had  been 
very  good  to  her.  She  loved  her  mother-in-law  dearly. 
And  Naomi  had  taught  Ruth  also  to  love  the  true  God.  She 
decided  to  go  to  the  strange  land  with  Naomi,  and  she  spoke 
her  decision  in  words  that  have  made  her  famous : 

“  Entreat  me  not  to  leave  thee,  and  to  return  from  follow¬ 
ing  after  thee ;  for  whither  thou  goest,  I  will  go  ;  and  where 
thou  lodgest,  I  will  lodge ;  thy  people  shall  be  my  people,  and 
thy  God  my  God  ;  where  thou  cliest,  will  I  die,  and  there  will 
I  be  buried:  Jehovah  do  so  to  me,  and  more  also,  if  aught 
but  death  part  thee  and  me.’’ 

And  when  Naomi  saw  that  Ruth  was  in  earnest  and  meant 
what  she  said,  she  made  no  further  objections.  The  two 
women  started  together  on  the  long,  hard  journey  to 
Bethlehem. 

It  was  at  the  time  of  barley  harvest — the  latter  part  of 
March  or  the  early  part  of  April — when  the  travelers  came 
to  Bethlehem  in  Judea.  As  they  entered  the  little  town,  the 
people  hardly  recognized  Naomi ;  they  spoke  to  her,  asking 
if  she  were  not  Naomi,  who  had  gone  away  ten  years  before. 

“  Yes,”  she  answered.  “  I  was  Naomi.  But  do  not  call 
me  Naomi  [pleasant]  any  more.  Call  me  Mara  [bitterness], 
for  I  have  lost  my  husband  and  my  sons,  and  my  life  is  no 
longer  pleasant,  but  bitter.” 

Naomi  and  Ruth  found  a  little  home  for  themselves  in 
Bethlehem,  but  they  were  very  poor.  It  was  the  time  of 
year  when  the  barley  crop  was  ripe  and  Ruth  proposed  to 
Naomi  that  she  should  go  out  into  the  fields  and  gather  the 
barley  that  remained  after  the  harvesters  had  passed.  Ac¬ 
cording  to  the  law  of  Moses,  Leviticus  19:9,  10;  23:22,  a 
certain  amount  of  grain  was  left  in  the  fields  for  the  poor  to 
gather. 


416 


JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 


Now  it  happened  that  the  field  to  which  Ruth  went  be¬ 
longed  to  a  kinsman,  a  relative,  of  Elimelech,  named  Boaz. 
He  saw  the  strange  maiden  following  after  the  reapers.  He 
asked  who  she  was,  and  when  he  found  out  how  good  she 
was  to  Naomi,  he  ordered  that  more  grain  than  usual  should 
be  left  for  her.  He  told  her  that  she  was  not  to  glean  in 
other  fields,  but  to  remain  with  his  reapers.  He  gave  her 
food  and  drink  as  he  gave  it  to  his  own  people.  When  Ruth 
went  back  to  Naomi,  she  had  an  ephah  of  barley,  (three 
pecks  and  five  quarts)  and  Naomi  was  delighted.  She  told 
Ruth  to  do  as  Boaz  had  said. 

And  so  Puth  “  kept  fast  by  the  maidens  of  Boaz,  to  glean 
unto  the  end  of  barley  harvest  and  of  wheat  harvest ;  and  she 
dwelt  with  her  mother-in-law.” 

Handwork 

Look  at  the  picture  of  Ruth  gleaning,  facing  this  page; 
at  the  picture  of  threshing,  page  384;  and  at  the  little  picture 
of  the  sower,  on  page  414.  Then  make  on  the  sand  table, 
scenes  of  agriculture  in  Palestine.  Make  men,  oxen,  and 
implements  of  cardboard.  Make  three  scenes :  ( 1 )  The 
plowing  and  sowing;  (2)  the  reaping,  and  (3)  the  thresh¬ 
ing.  If  you  plant  rye,  or  bird  seed,  in  soil  that  you  keep 
damp,  you  will  have  a  good  “  crop  ”  in  ten  days. 

Map  Work 

Draw  in  your  notebook  a  map  which  will  show  Bethle¬ 
hem,  the  Dead  Sea,  the  Jordan  River,  and  Moab. 

Notebook  Work 

Write  the  beginning  of  the  story  of  Ruth  in  your  notebook. 

Expressional  Activity 

If  it  is  possible  this  week,  give  food  to  some  one  who 
needs  it,  in  memory  of  the  kindness  of  Boaz  to  Ruth  and 
Naomi. 


Memory  Work 

Learn  the  famous  words  of  Ruth  to  Naomi,  Ruth  1 :16,  17. 


/  by  permission  of  the  Gilliams  Service,  32  Union  Square,  East,  New  ) 'ork. 


417 


JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 

SUNDAY  SESSION 

THE  RESULTS  OF  RUTH’S  CLIOICE 
Ruth,  chapter  4, 

The  Memory  Verse 

“  Many  waters  cannot  quench  love, 

Neither  can  floods  drown  it.” 

— Song  of  Solomon  8:7. 

The  Lesson  Story 

It  was  the  custom  in  the  land  of  Palestine  in  the  time  of 
the  Judges  for  all  business  to  be  carried  on  at  the  gate  of  the 
city,  in  the  presence  of  the  elders,  or  wise  men.  One  day 
Boaz,  the  kind  relative  of  Elimelech,  went  to  the  gate.  He 
knew  that  Naomi  had  certain  property  to  sell ;  he  knew  that 
by  law  it  should  be  sold  to  some  one  in  the  family.  He 
waited  until  the  nearest  cousin,  who  would  have  the  first  right 
to  buy  the  land,  came  to  the  gate. 

“  Naomi,  the  widow  of  Elimelech,  has  land  to  sell,”  he 
said.  “  You  have  the  first  chance  to  buy  the  land  ;  I  have 
the  second  chance.  Do  you  want  to  buy  the  land  or  not?  If 
you  do  not,  I  will  buy  it.” 

“  No,  I  do  not  want  the  land,”  the  man  answered.  “  You 
can  buy  it.”  And  he  drew  off  his  shoe,  which  in  those  days, 
bound  a  bargain.  Then  Boaz  stood  up,  and  spoke  to  the 
elders. 

“  You  are  witnesses,”  he  said,  “  that  to-day  I  have  bought 
everything  that  was  Elimelech’s.  Moreover,  I  announce  to 
you  all,  that  I  am  going  to  marry  Ruth  the  Moabitess,  who 
was  the  wife  of  Chilion.” 

All  the  men  at  the  gate  answered  solemnly :  “  We  are  wit¬ 
nesses.  May  you  be  happy  in  your  marriage.  God  bless 
you.”  And  so  Boaz.  the  kind  kinsman  of  Naomi,  and  Ruth, 
her  faithful  daughter,  were  married. 

Boaz  took  Naomi  and  Ruth  to  his  home,  and  they  lived 
there  happily  together,  until,  one  day,  a  little  baby  boy  was 
born  to  Ruth  and  Boaz.  They  named  this  baby  Obed,  and  he 
lived  to  be  a  good,  kind  man,  the  father  of  Tesse,  and  the 
grandfather  of  David,  who  became  the  great  king  of  Israel. 


418 


JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 


So  Ruth  the  Moabite  maiden  was  rewarded  for  her  kind¬ 
ness.  She  was  the  great-grandmother  of  a  king.  And,  more 
than  that,  through  David,  she  was  the  ancestress  of  Jesus, 
the  greatest  King,  the  greatest  Leader,  whom  the  world  has 
ever  known.  So  all  the  world  knows  to-day  of  the  kindness 
of  Ruth,  the  Moabitess,  who  left  her  home  to  become  a  wor¬ 
shiper  of  the  true  God,  for  the  love  that  she  felt  for  Naomi, 
and  of  her  faithfulness  to  her  mother-in-law.  God  rewarded 
her  for  her  love  and  faithfulness,  as  he  always  rewards  those 
who  follow  the  paths  of  righteousness. 

Putting  the  Lesson  Into  the  Life  of  the  Class 

Ruth’s  kindness  to  Naomi  was  rewarded.  You  will  find 
that  kindness  to  others  is  always  rewarded,  though  some¬ 
times  it  does  not  seem  to  be  appreciated  as  you  wished. 

Always  be  kind  and  loving  to  those  who  are  older  than 
you  are.  Ruth  was  respectful  and  helpful  to  her  mother- 
in-law.  Do  you  always  treat  your  mother  and  father  with 
love  and  respect? 

Ruth  helped  Naomi  in  every  way  that  she  could.  You, 
too,  should  help  your  parents  as  you  can  do  so. 

Boaz  was  kind  to  the  poor.  He  gave  generously  to  those 
who  needed  help.  Though  we  may  not  have  so  much  to  give 
as  he  had,  we  can  share  with  others,  too. 

The  Lesson  Truth  in  Your  Life 

I  will  be  loving  and  respectful  and  helpful  to  my  parents, 
and  so  try  to  follow  the  example  of  Ruth,  the  faithful  and 
loving. 


Notebook  Work 

Finish  the  story  of  Ruth  in  your  notebook.  Write  down 
the  names  of  her  son  and  her  grandson  and  her  great- 
grandson,  following  the  plan  of  the  “  family  tree/'  given  on 
page  45  of  the  Second  Year  Book,  Part  I.  Allow  plenty  of 
space  for  this,  for  you  may  want  to  add  other  names. 

Agriculture  in  Palestine  in  Modern  Times 
The  beginning  of  the  harvest  is  a  time  of  merry  singing 


JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 


419 


and  industrious  work.  Women  as  well  as  men  go  to  the 
fields  and  often  the  babies  are  taken  along  in  cradles.  Some 
of  the  reapers  sleep  in  the  held.  The  barley  harvest  always 
precedes  the  wheat  harvest  by  a  few  weeks.  In  reaping, 
the  stalks  are  grasped  and  cut  low  down  with  a  sickle.  A 
bunch  is  tied  with  a  straw  and  thrown  into  a  heap  to  make  a 
shock.  The  grain  is  carried  to  the  threshing  floor  by 
donkeys,  mules  or  camels.  The  animals  have  much  hard 
work  during  this  season.  The  threshing  floor  is  usually  a 
smooth  plot  of  ground  near  the  edge  of  the  village,  beaten 
hard.  Very  often  a  natural  rock  floor  may  be  utilized.  At 
Baytin  (Bethel)  the  immense  ancient  pool,  now  dry,  at  the 
southwest  of  the  village,  makes  an  excellent  threshing  floor. 
On  the  floor  the  grain  is  piled  up  in  what  looks  like  huge 
walls,  each  family  crop  by  itself.  Watchers  sleep  on  the 
floor  at  night  to  prevent  theft  and  fire.  When  all  is  ready 
the  families  owning  grain  on  the  threshing  floor  throw  down 
circular  beds  of  the  shocks  and  drive  the  animals  around 
upon  it.  In  the  middle  highland  country  the  hoofs  of  the 
animals  are  depended  on  alone  as  threshing  instruments. 
But  in  the  north,  and  in  some  other  sections,  a  sledge  is 
drawn  about  by  the  animals.  In  the  bottom  of  the  sledge 
teeth  of  iron  or  stone  are  inserted,  which  tear  the  straw.  The 
animals  generally  used  are  the  plow  cattle,  but  all  animals 
available  are  liable  to  be  drafted  into  the  service.  Horses, 
donkeys,  cattle,  and  mules  are  to  be  seen  hitched  together 
promiscuously.  The  mouths  of  the  animals  are  often  muz¬ 
zled  with  sacking.  Their  drivers  follow  them  up  with  a  kind 
of  basket  on  the  end  of  a  pole  to  catch  the  manure  and  pre¬ 
vent  its  falling  into  the  grain.  When  threshing  begins  the 
heap  of  stalks  and  heads  may  be  four  feet  high  and  fifteen  or 
more  feet  across.  Midday  is  the  best  time  for  threshing,  as 
the  stalks  are  then  brittle.  When  thoroughly  ground  and 
beaten  by  the  hoofs  of  the  threshing  animals  the  heap  may 
be  but  a  foot  deep.  When  the  process  of  threshing  is  com¬ 
pleted  the  resulting  mixture  of  chaff  and  grain  is  tossed  into 
the  air  so  that  the  wind  may  carry  off  the  chaff,  while  the 
heavy  grain  falls  directly  under  the  fan  or  wooden  fork 
which  the  laborer  is  using.  The  women  sift  and  clean  the 
grain  with  different  grades  of  sieves  and  the  men  put  it  into 
sacks.  Another  more  thorough  sifting  and  cleansing  is 


420 


JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 


necessary  before  it  is  ground. — From  “  The  People  of  Pales¬ 
tine,”  by  Euhu  Grant. 


EXPRESSIONAL  SESSION 

SHOWING  RESPECT  TO  OUR  ELDERS 

Luke  2:51,  52 

Suggestions  for  the  Leader's  Opening  Address 

In  the  lessons  which  we  have  studied  about  Ruth,  we  have 
learned  how  she  loved  Naomi,  her  mother-in-law,  and  with 
what  respect  she  treated  her.  Sometimes  we  feel  impatient 
and  cross,  and  are  not  so  respectful  to  our  mother  and  father 
as  we  should  be.  Sometimes  we  are  tempted  to  be  imperti¬ 
nent.  But  if  we  think  of  Ruth  in  Old  Testament  times,  and 
of  Jesus  in  New  Testament  days,  and  how  the  Bible  tells  us 
that  he  was  “  subject  ”  to  Joseph  and  Mary,  it  will  help  us 
to  control  ourselves,  and  to  be  more  loving  and  respectful. 
Our  parents  have  done  so  very  many  things  for  us.  They 
love  us  so  dearly  that  we  should  try  to  repay  them  in  the 
only  way  that  we  can — by  being  loving  and  obedient  and  re¬ 
spectful.  Let  us  ask  God  to  help  us  in  these  things. 

The  Class  Prayer 

Our  Father  in  heaven,  help  us  to  follow  the  example  which 
Ruth  has  set  us.  Help  us  to  remember  thy  Commandment, 
“  Honor  thy  father  and  thy  mother.”  Help  us  to  do  as 
Jesus  did.  We  ask  in  his  name.  Amen. 

Verses  for  Use  in  the  Meeting 

Exodus  20:12;  I  Samuel  3:5;  Proverbs  10:1;  13:1;  Ec¬ 
clesiastes  12:1  ;  John  19:26,  27 ;  Ephesians  6:1,  2. 

Hymns  that  May  Be  Used  in  Connection 
with  the  Meeting 

“  The  Home.” 

“  O  Happy  Home.” 


JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 


421 


“  I  Live  for  Those  Who  Love  Me.” 

“  Love  Thyself  Last.” 

“  Live  for  Others.” 

Questions  for  Use  in  the  Meeting 

1.  How  did  Ruth  show  her  love  and  respect  for  Naomi? 

2.  How  did  the  boy  Samuel  show  love  and  respect  for 
the  old  priest  Eli  ? 

3.  How  did  Jesus  show  love  and  respect  for  Mary  and 
Joseph  ? 

4.  How  can  you  show  love  and  respect  for  your  parents? 

5.  Have  you  been  loving  and  respectful  to  your  parents 
this  week? 


Topics  for  Discussion  or  Reports 

1.  The  Fifth  Commandment. 

2.  Ruth  and  Naomi. 

3.  Honoring  Our  Elders. 

4.  Christ’s  Last  Act  for  His  Mother. 

5.  How  We  Should  Treat  Our  Teachers. 

6.  Young  People  and  Old  Age. 

To  Read  in  the  Meeting 

HOW  WE  SHOULD  HONOR  OUR  PARENTS 

“  1.  By  loving  them,  and  expressing  to  them  that  love. 

“  2.  By  obedience,  free,  glad,  cheerful,  overflowing. 

“  3.  By  always  treating  them  with  respect,  in  heart,  in 
word,  and  in  action;  by  that  ‘best  portion  of  a  man’s  life, 
his  little,  unremembered  acts  of  kindness  and  love.’ 

“  4.  By  using  parents  as  your  counselors  and  friends. 

“  5.  By  always  acting  in  such  a  way  that  those  who  see 
you  will  know  that  you  have  good  and  wise  parents.  As 
people  will  judge  of  a  church  by  its  members,  and  of  the 
state  and  nation  by  its  citizens,  so  will  they  judge  of  parents 
by  their  children.  Bad  boys  or  girls  always  dishonor  parents. 

“  6.  By  making  the  most  of  your  opportunities.  Every 
parent  wants  his  children  to  do  better  and  be  more  use  t  ill 
and  more  successful  than  he  himself.  By  so  doing  he  honors 
his  parents.” 


CHAPTER  XLII 

WEEK  DAY  SESSION 

THE  VOW  OF  HANNAH 
I  Samuel  1:1  to  2:12 
The  Memory  Verse 

“  My  son,  hear  the  instruction  of  thy  father, 

And  forsake  not  the  law  of  thy  mother.” 

— Proverbs  1 :8. 


The  Lesson  Story 

In  the  days  of  the  Judges,  many  of  the  people  of  Israel 
had  forgotten  the  true  God,  and  worshiped  the  gods  of  the 
heathen.  But  the  Ark  of  the  Covenant,  which  h~d  been  made 
at  Mount  Sinai  according  to  God’s  directions  given  through 
Moses,  was  still  in  existence.  In  the  time  of  Joshua,  Joshua 
18:1,  it  had  been  set  up  at  Shiloh,  and  there  it  remained  for 
many  years. 

Shiloh  was  a  town  in  the  territory  of  Ephraim,  about  ten 
miles  northeast  of  Bethel,  where  Jacob  had  had  his  vision  of 
the  ladder  to  heaven.  It  was  a  part  of  the  land  very  closely 
connected  with  all  the  early  history  of  the  people  of  Israel. 

And  there,  in  charge  of  the  tabernacle,  lived  the  old  priest 
Eli — seventy-eight  year:  old — who  served  not  only  as  a  priest 
but  as  a  judge.  Eli  is  the  first  man  who  had  held  these  two 
offices.  We  do  not  know  of  any  great  deeds  which  he  ac¬ 
complished  as  a  judge,  but  at  the  time  of  the  lesson,  he  was 
an  old  man,  and  had  left  much  of  his  active  work  in  the 
hands  of  his  two  sons,  Hophni  and  Phinehas,  who  were  both 
wicked  men. 

Twelve  miles  from  Shiloh,  in  the  town  of  Ramathaim- 
Zophim,  or  Ramah,  as  it  was  often  called  in  its  shorter  form, 
there  lived  at  this  time  a  man  of  a  priestly  family  named 
Elkanah.  He  and  his  wife  Hannah,  like  Abraham  and 


422 


JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 


423 


Sarah,  like  Zacharias  and  Elisabeth,  had  no  child,  and  they 
longed  for  a  son.  They,  too,  were  good  people.  They  went 
each  year  to  the  tabernacle  at  Shiloh  to  celebrate  the  feasts 
which  the  law  of  Moses  had  decreed.  It  was  at  the  time  of 
one  of  these  feasts  that  the  old  priest,  Eli,  first  noticed  Han¬ 
nah.  She  was  praying  earnestly  for  a  son;  she  promised 
God  that  if  she  should  have  a  son,  he  should  be  a  Nazi  rite — 
that  is,  he  should  be  given  unto  the  Lord’s  service ;  he  should 
never  have  his  hair  cut;  he  should  drink  no  wine.  (You  re¬ 
member  that  we  studied  that  Samson  and  John  the  Baptist 
were  Nazirites.) 

Eli  spoke  to  Hannah.  Then  he  asked  a  blessing  for  her ; 
he  asked  God  to  grant  her  prayer.  And  Hannah  was  glad. 
She  felt  sure  that  God  would  answer  her  prayer  as  she 
wished.  She  went  home  to  Ramah  rejoicing,  and  her  hus¬ 
band  Elkanah  rejoiced  with  her. 

Later  there  was  a  little  son  born  to  Elkanah  and  Hannah 
— a  child  whom  they  named  “  Samuel,”  because,  Hannah 
said,  she  had  “  asked  him  of  the  Lord."  Hannah  took  good 
care  of  the  little  lad.  She  watched  him  most  lovingly.  But 
she  did  not  forget  her  promise.  She  waited  until  the  boy 
was  three  years  old.  Then,  though  it  must  have  torn  her 
heart,  she  and  Elkanah  took  him  to  the  old  priest,  Eli,  at 
Shiloh.  They  took  with  them  an  offering  to  the  Lord ;  they 
sacrificed,  and  gave  the  child  into  Eli’s  care. 

And  as  Hannah  gave  her  little  son  into  the  care  of  the  old 
priest,  she  spoke  words  which  remind  us  of  the  words  of 
Mary,  at  the  time  of  the  birth  of  Jesus,  which  we  call  “  The 
Magnificat."  Read  some  of  the  song  of  Hannah: 


“My  heart  exulteth  in  Jehovah:  .  .  . 

There  is  none  holy  as  Jehovah; 

For  there  is  none  besides  thee, 

Neither  is  there  any  rock  like  our  God. 

Talk  no  more  so  exceeding  proudly; 

Let  not  arrogancy  come  out  of  your  mouth ; 

For  Jehovah  is  a  God  of  knowledge, 

And  by  him  actions  are  weighed. 

The  bows  of  the  mighty  men  are  broken : 

And  they  that  stumbled  are  girded  with  strength. 

They  that  were  full  have  hired  out  themselves  for  bread; 
And  they  that  were  hungry  have  ceased  to  hunger :. . . 


424 


JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 


Jehovah  killeth,  and  maketh  alive:  .  .  . 

Jehovah  maketh  poor,  and  maketh  rich: 

He  bringeth  low,  he  also  lifteth  up. 

He  raiseth  up  the  poor  out  of  the  dust, 

Lie  lifteth  up  the  needy  .  .  . 

To  make  them  sit  with  princes, 

And  inherit  the  throne  of  glory : 

For  the  pillars  of  the  earth  are  Jehovah’s, 

And  he  hath  set  the  world  upon  them. 

He  will  keep  the  feet  of  his  holy  ones; 

But  the  wicked  shall  be  put  to  silence  in  darkness ; 

For  by  strength  shall  no  man  prevail. 

They  that  strive  with  Jehovah  shall  be  broken  to  pieces; 
Against  them  will  he  thunder  in  heaven: 

Jehovah  will  judge  the  ends  of  the  earth; 

And  he  will  give  strength  unto  his  king, 

And  exalt  the  horn  of  his  anointed.” 

Then  Elkanah  and  Hannah  said  good-by  to  the  little  boy; 
they  went  back  to  their  home  in  Ramah.  “  And  the  child  did 
minister  unto  Jehovah  before  Eli  the  priest.”  He  “  increased 
in  favor  both  with  Jehovah,  and  also  with  men.” 

Handwork 

Try  to  make  again  a  model  or  a  picture  of  the  tabernacle 
such  as  you  made  with  Chapter  XXIX.  If  you  have  saved 
that  which  you  made  at  that  time,  use  it  to  show  where  Eli 
and  Samuel  lived. 


Map  Work 

Find  the  location  of  Shiloh  and  Ramah,  and  mark  them  on 
your  map. 


Notebook  Work 

In  your  notebook,  write  a  comparison  between  Zacharias 
and  Elisabeth,  Abraham  and  Sarah,  Elkanah  and  Hannah. 
In  what  ways  were  John  the  Baptist,  Samson,  and  Samuel 
to  be  alike?  What  do  you  find  that  is  similar  between  the 
Magnificat,  the  song  of  Mary,  Luke  1 :46-55,  and  the  song 
of  Hannah? 


Expressional  Activity 

During  the  week  try  to  be  especially  obedient  and  helpful, 


JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 


425 


as  Samuel  was  in  the  part  of  our  lesson  which  we  are  to 
study  on  Sunday. 


Memory  Work 

Learn  this  hymn  about  Samuel : 

“  Hushed  was  the  evening  hymn, 

The  temple  courts  were  dark; 

The  lamps  were  burning  dim 
Before  the  sacred  ark ; 

When  suddenly  a  voice  divine 
Rang  through  the  silence  of  the  shrine. 

“  The  old  man,  meek  and  mild, 

The  priest  of  Israel,  slept; 

His  watch  the  temple-child. 

The  little  Levite.  kept ; 

And  what  from  Eli’s  sense  was  sealed 
The  Lord  to  Hannah’s  son  revealed. 

“  O  give  me  Samuel’s  ear. 

The  open  ear,  O  Lord, 

Alive  and  quick  to  hear 

Each  whisper  of  Thy  word. 

Like  him  to  answer  at  Thy  call, 

And  to  obey  Thee  first  of  all.” 


SUNDAY  SESSION 

THE  BOY  SAMUEL 
I  Samuel  2:18,  19;  chapter  3 
The  Memory  Verse 

“  And  the  child  Samuel  grew  on,  and  increased  in  favor 
both  with  Jehovah,  and  also  with  men.” — I  Samuel  2:26. 

The  Lesson  Story 

As  the  years  went  by,  Samuel  became  more  and  more 
helpful  to  old  Eli,  who  was  losing  his  eyesight,  and  becom¬ 
ing  more  and  more  feeble.  At  first  Samuel  could  help  only 
in  little  ways.  He  followed  round  after  the  old  priest,  ask¬ 
ing  questions  and  learning  many  things  about  God’s  house. 


426 


JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 


As  he  grew  older  he  could  lead  the  blind  old  man  from  one 
room  of  the  tabernacle  church  to  another ;  he  could  open  and 
shut  the  doors ;  he  could  light  the  seven-branched  candle¬ 
stick,  which  stood  on  the  south  side  of  the  Holy  Place,  to  the 
left  of  the  entrance,  and  opposite  the  table  of  shewbread. 
Each  evening  the  lights  of  this  candelabrum  were  lighted. 
Each  morning  they  were  put  out,  the  lamps  were  trimmed 


and  fresh  olive  oil  was  supplied.  All  these  things  little 
Samuel  could  do.  He  slept  in  a  room  adjoining  the  taber¬ 
nacle,  close  to  the  old  priest,  so  that  he  might  be  at  hand  if 
the  old  man  wanted  anything  during  the  night. 

Each  year  Hannah  came  to  see  Samuel,  bringing  for  him 
a  coat  which  she  had  made.  He  wore  this  coat  under  an 
“  ephod  ” — a  garment  such  as  the  priests  wore  in  those  days, 
made  of  two  pieces  of  linen  fastened  together  at  the  shoulder, 
and  falling  over  the  front  and  back  part  of  the  body. 


JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 


427 


So  the  busy  days  passed  until  Samuel  was  twelve  years 
old — the  age  of  Jesus  when,  more  than  a  thousand  years 
later,  he  went  to  the  great  golden  Temple  at  Jerusalem  and 
talked  to  the  wise  men  there.  Samuel,  like  Jesus,  won  favor 
with  God  and  men. 

One  night  Samuel  lay  asleep  in  his  little  room.  Suddenly 
he  wakened.  He  heard  a  voice  calling  to  him. 

“  Here  am  I,"  he  answered,  thinking  Eli  had  called  him. 
He  jumped  up  quickly  and  ran  to  the  old  man. 

“  Here  am  I,”  he  repeated,  “  for  thou  calledst  me.” 

“  I  called  not,”  answered  Eli.  “  Lie  down  again.” 

Samuel  obeyed.  But  again  God  called  him,  and  again  the 
boy  thought  it  was  Eli,  and  went  to  him.  Again  Eli  sent 
him  back  to  bed. 

The  third  time  God  called  him,  and  the  third  time  the  boy 
went  to  Eli,  insisting  that  he  had  been  called. 

This  time  Eli  saw  that  God  was  calling  the  child.  He  told 
him  that  lie  should  lie  down  again  and  that  if  he  heard  the 
voice  a  fourth  time,  he  should  answer,  “  Speak,  Jehovah  ;  for 
thy  servant  heareth.” 

Samuel  must  have  been  filled  with  awe  and  reverence  as  he 
returned  to  his  place.  He  must  have  lain  wide  awake  this 
time,  listening.  And  this  time  there  was  more  than  a  voice. 
The  Lord  came  and  stood  beside  him  and  called  as  before, 
“  Samuel,  Samuel.”  and  the  boy  answered  as  Eli  had  told 
him,  “  Speak  ;  for  thy  servant  heareth.” 

God  gave  to  Samuel  a  message  that  it  must  have  been  hard 
for  him  to  receive — a  message  that  Eli’s  familv  must  he 
destroyed  on  account  of  the  wickedness  of  his  sons.  Samuel 
listened.  He  was  afraid  to  tell  Eli  the  message  of  the  Lord. 
He  waited  until  morning  came,  and  it  was  time  for  him  to 
open  the  doors  of  the  tabernacle. 

When  Eli  heard  him  stirring  about,  he  called  him  and 
asked  him  what  the  Lord  had  said  to  him.  And  though 
Samuel  was  afraid,  he  told  Eli  all  God’s  words.  And  old 
Eli  knew  that  God’s  will  must  be  done.  He  accepted  God’s 
decree  sorrowfully:  “It  is  Jehovah,”  he  said;  “let  him  do 
what  seemeth  him  good.” 

This  was  the  first  time  that  God  spoke  directly  to  Samuel, 
but  many  times  after  that  the  Lord  came  to  him  with  mes- 


428 


JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 


sages  for  the  people  of  Israel.  Soon  he  was  recognized  as  a 
prophet  all  through  the  land,  for  the  Lord  revealed  himself 
to  Samuel  in  Shiloh. 

Putting  the  Lesson  Into  the  Life  of  the  Class- 

At  the  time  of  the  lesson,  Samuel  was  just  the  age  of 
some  of  you  older  Juniors.  Yet  he  grew  on,  and  increased 
in  favor  both  with  Jehovah,  and  also  with  men.  Are  you 
increasing  in  favor  with  both  God  and  men,  as  Samuel  did, 
and  as  Jesus  did? 

Samuel  did  his  duty.  He  helped  Eli.  He  was  quick  to 
obey  when  he  was  called.  He  was  ready  to  answer.  In  all 
those  ways  Juniors  of  to-day  can  follow  Samuel’s  example. 

Samuel  obeyed  God’s  command  to  give  a  sorrowful  mes¬ 
sage  to  Eli,  even  when  he  was  afraid.  He  sets  before  us  an 
example  of  courage. 

God  found  that  Samuel  was  obedient  and  brave  and  help¬ 
ful,  and  he  used  him  for  carrying  on  his  work  in  the  world. 
If  we  try  to  do  right  and  follow  God’s  commands,  he  will 
use  us  for  his  work  in  the  world. 

The  Lesson  Truth  in  Your  Life 

I  will  try  to  do  my  duty  cheerfully  and  quickly,  as  Samuel 
did,  even  though  it  may  sometimes  seem  hard  and  unpleasant. 

His  New  Day 
By  E.  C.  Foster 

Last  night  I  was  a  care-free  boy; 

My  play  was  life,  my  life  was  play; 

No  future  called;  from  day  to  day 

I  laughed  and  romped  and  lived — a  boy. 

But  now  another  day  I  see, 

A  day  to  do  with  as  I  will ; 

Shall  it  be  fraught  with  good  or  ill? 

What  message  does  it  bring  to  me? 

I  catch  its  gleam  !  I  breathe  its  air  ! 

I  hear  its  ringing  call  to  me, 

Its  call  to  live,  to  serve,  to  be, 

My  beating  heart  finds  voice  in  prayer — 


JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 


429 


In  prayer  that  I  may  find  the  way, 

The  way  that  He  in  service  went ; 

A  life  for  others  freely  spent. 

To  meet  the  torn  world's  need  to-day; 


To  help  that  other  boy  who  gropes 
Along  the  road  I  just  passed  through, 
Storm-swept  with  feelings  strange  and  new ; 
Help  him  to  realize  his  hopes. 


And  now  life  calls  me  to  a  quest, 

To  love,  to  laugh,  to  work,  to  play, 
To  serve,  to  sacrifice,  to  pray; 

He  calls — and  He  shall  have  my  best. 


EXPRESSION AL  SESSION 

FOLLOWING  SAMUEL’S  EXAMPLE 
Proverbs  20:11 

Suggestions  eor  the  Leader's  Opening  Address 

The  boy  Samuel  has  set  before  us  an  example  of  the  ways 
in  which  boys  and  girls  of  Junior  age  can  show  what  they 
are  really  worth.  “  Even  a  child  maketh  himself  known  by 
his  doings,”  the  Bible  tells  us,  and  Samuel’s  boyhood  proves 
the  truth  of  the^e  words.  Just  from  the  little  that  the  Bible 
tells  us  of  him,  we  know  that  he  was  obedient,  quick  to  an¬ 
swer  when  he  was  called,  careful  in  doing  his  duty,  respon¬ 
sible,  brave,  cheerful.  In  all  those  things  he  set  an  example 
which  we  Juniors  of  to-day  would  do  well  to  follow.  Then 
we,  too,  shall  grow  in  favor  with  God  and  men  as  Samuel 
did,  and  as  Jesus  did. 

The  Class  Prayer 

O  Jesus,  the  Bible  says  of  you  that  you  increased  in  favor 
both  with  God  and  men,  as  you  increased  in  stature.  As  we 
grow  to  manhood  and  womanhood,  help  us  to  be  like  you, 
and  win  the  favor  of  our  Father  in  heaven  and  of  the  people 
with  whom  we  live.  We  ask  in  your  name.  Amen. 


430 


JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 


Verses  for  Use  in  the  Meeting 

Judges  13:24;  I  Samuel  2:26;  Luke  1:80;  2:52;  Eccle¬ 
siastes  9:10;  Matthew  19:13;  II  Timothy  3:15. 

Hymns  that  May  Be  Used  in  Connection 
with  the  Meeting 

“  Hushed  Was  the  Evening  Hymn.” 

“  Saviour,  Teach  Me  Day  by  Day.” 

“  We  Are  Growing,  We  Are  Growing.” 

“  Just  as  I  Am,  Thine  Own  to  Be.” 

“Jesus,  Friend  of  Little  Children.” 

Questions  for  Use  in  the  Meeting 

1.  In  what  way  did  Samuel  show  that  he  was:  (a)  obe¬ 
dient;  (b)  quick  to  answer  when  called;  (c)  careful;  (d) 
responsible;  (e)  brave;  (f)  cheerful? 

2.  How  can  Juniors  of  to-day  follow  Samuel’s  example? 

3.  Are  you  cheerful  and  ready  to  answer  quickly  if 
mother  calls  you  from  your  play? 

4.  Do  you  ever  have  such  hard  duties  as  Samuel  did? 
(Remember  he  had  to  stay  constantly  with  a  blind,  old  man. 
He  had  work  to  do.  He  had  to  be  ready,  even  during  the 
night,  to  answer  if  he  was  called.) 

5.  In  what  ways  were  the  boyhood  of  Samuel  and  that 
of  Jesus  alike?  In  what  ways  were  they  different? 

6.  How  can  you  help  in  the  church  and  Sunday  school 
to-day  ? 

Topics  for  Discussion  or  Reports 

1.  The  Magnificat  and  the  Song  of  Hannah. 

2.  Following  Samuel’s  Example. 

3.  How  Boys  and  Girls  Help  in  the  Church  To-Day. 

4.  How  Boys  and  Girls  Help  in  the  Home  To-Day. 

5.  The  Difference  Between  Our  Duties  and  Samuel’s. 

6.  A  Junior’s  Responsibilities. 

7.  How  a  Junior  Can  Grow  in  Favor  with  God  and  Men. 

To  Read  in  the  Meeting 

Boys  and  girls  must  keep  their  ears  open  and  their  hearts 
open  to  hear  what  God  has  to  say  to  them,  to  see  what  he 


JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 


431 


has  done  for  them,  and  to  find  out  where  they  can  lend  a 
hand. — Edward  Everett  Hale. 

“  God  is  calling  every  boy  and  girl  as  he  called  Samuel. 
It  is  an  individual  call,  by  name,  for  ‘  he  calleth  his  own 
sheep  by  named  God  calls  (1)  by  his  W  ord  ;  (2)  by  his  own 
loving,  attractive  character;  (3)  by  what  he  has  done  for 
us  in  Jesus  Christ;  (4)  by  the  influence  of  the  Holy  Spirit; 
(5)  by  various  providences;  (6)  by  conscience;  (7)  by  Sab¬ 
bath  and  religious  services;  (8)  by  the  invitations  and  in¬ 
fluence  of  friends;  (9)  by  the  living  water  which  satisfies 
every  thirst  of  the  soul;  (10)  by  the  attractions  of  goodness 
and  heaven;  (11)  by  warning,  and  the  fruit  of  a  life  of  sin. 

“  Like  Samuel,  we  should  answer  God’s  cafl  by  ‘  Here  am 
I.’  (1)  It  is  easier  to  be  a  Christian  in  youth.  (2)  Then 

it  gives  much  longer  time  to  serve  God.  (3)  We  may  not 
live  to  be  old,  and  thus  by  putting  off  our  duty  we  may  fail 
altogether.  (4)  We  escape  many  evils  and  dangers.  No 
one  can  sow  wild  oats  in  youth  and  not  reap  a  harvest 
of  evil.  There  are  some  spiritual  blessings  which  can  come 
only  to  those  who  have  grown  up  in  the  Christian  life.  It  is 
universally  recognized  .  .  .  that  most  men  decide  their  fu¬ 
ture  characters  very  early  in  life.” 

“  In  our  work  and  in  our  play, 

Jesus,  be  thou  ever  near, 

Guarding,  guiding  all  the  day, 

Keep  us  in  thy  holy  fear.” 

“  I'm  very  glad  that  long  ago 
The  Saviour  was  a  little  Bov, 

And  lived  upon  this  earth,  below. 

With  all  its  beauty  and  its  joy. 

I’m  glad  he  worked  and  went  to  school, 

Much  as  we  children  do  to-day; 

I’m  glad  that  he  could  run  about 
With  other  boys  and  girls,  and  play. 

“  I’m  glad  he  loved  the  great  outdoors, 

And  studied  flowers,  birds,  and  trees; 

We  know  he  did,  for  when  he  preached, 

His  sermons  all  were  full  of  these. 

If  he  had  always  been  a  Man, 

He  never  would  have  learned  to  know 
Just  how  the  children  think  and  feel — 

And  that  is  why  we  love  him  so. 


JUNIOR  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 


“  I’m  glad  he  loved  the  children  then 
And  took  them  gently  in  his  arms, 
Because  he  loves  them  still,  and  keeps 
Them  safe  from  everything  that  harms. 
And  so  I’m  very  glad  to  know 
The  Saviour  was  a  Child  like  me, 

And  that  my  dearest,  truest  Friend 
Now  and  forever  he  will  be.” 


Princeton  Theologica  Seminary 


012  01237  4528 


Libraries 


Date  Due 


